Oktoberfest

I couldn't leave Munich without writing a little bit about the 176th Oktoberfest.

As we arrived we noticed people sleeping in the lawn. Amazingly some people come to Oktoberfest without a place to stay. They put their luggage or bags in the train station lockers and are able to shower at the Hauptbahnhof. I can't even imagine.

The Australian consulate even relocates to Munich during Oktoberfest from their Berlin office, because people often lose their passports / wallets. If they don't have an ID it makes getting a train ticket more difficult.

We walked through on opening night, because I love seeing the lights at dusk when the colors are so beautiful. The tents were packed and the drunkards were everywhere.

Not only is tons of beer consumed, there are also plenty of carney rides. I never go on them, but it is interesting to watch. The 'Top Spin' was particularly interesting, because it nearly dunks the people in water. I also love the 'star flyer' sky swing, but I don't know that I'd have the nerve to get on it.

There were bachelor parties, couples strolling through, and plenty of food for drunken hunger pangs. In some places you can walk through and feel as though your lungs are coated with sugar from the saccharine sweets for sale. They are never as good as they smell.

It's a great place to visit for some interesting photos - if you can handle being run into by drunks and dodging the manure and detritus on the ground.

We'll get decked out in our tracht and celebrate tomorrow.

St. Peter's Stiftskeller

Stefan joined me on my final tour before we head out on our big 4 month adventure. It was so nice to have him, because it was a long day. We had some characters including the kind that turn up over 15 minutes late, which required hauling it to the train station - complete with a grandma in a wheel chair. We thankfully were able to catch our train with only a minute or two to spare.

Stefan and I decided to stop at the St. Peter's Stiftskeller for lunch. This is one of the oldest restaurants in all of Europe and dates back to 803! On one of my tours, a few weeks ago, I had a couple who invited me to lunch there, however I had already been invited by another couple to another place, so I had to turn them down. (Bummer!)

After their lunch they were raving about the schnitzels. The woman was telling me she had the veal schnitzel and she was so impressed she was asking about it and they said they have a special schnitzel oven. Most schnitzels are made in a pan with way too much oil, so I try to avoid them... and I don't eat veal, although I will on occasion eat poultry, which they also have.

We both ordered a schnitzel today and I still think mine are better, although these were decent. I think I'm just a sucker for home made food, even if I have to be the cook. I make my own - from scratch, using this schnitzel recipe. If we have a loaf of bread that needs to go I will use that, and if not I use panko (Japanese bread crumbs). We usually eat ours with Heinz curry ketchup instead of making the sauce. You can make them to celebrate your own Oktoberfest at home.

Munich Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof (ZOB)

The Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof (ZOB) has opened right at the Hackerbrücke S-bahn stop and it is a very welcomed addition. I love seeing Munich modernizing it's image - at least with some new architecture.

This will serve as a bus station, but it also has restaurants and shopping. We decided to check it out today and were certainly impressed. It felt as though we were on vacation, because it was so foreign to us.

We had lunch at Vapiano, which is an open kitchen style restaurant that is actually branching to the US.

They have another location at Fünf Höfe, which is an equally as impressive design oriented restaurant and shopping area.

Here are a couple more photos, including the bus area, which is located underneath the shops and restaurants. It looks like next year we'll be able to entertain the idea of traveling by car, plane, train, and now bus.

Through the coming months we'll also often be traveling by foot, so I was really excited to get these adorable red shoes in a package from my parents.

I've never owned crocs - and I am one to agree most of them are heinously ugly on anyone older than 8. What swayed me was their lightweight and anti-microbial aspects, which will be nice for our trip.

(Thank goodness the rhinestone on the side is covered by my pants.) I bet you wouldn't have even guessed that they were in fact crocs.

Less than a week!

We went around town today collecting our last minute things. Here are a few of my observations:

I love MUJI (inside Fünf Höfe). It's a Japanese shop that prides itself on being no brand. All of the merchandise is simple and they have a wonderful array of everything you never realized you needed to stay organized. Their travel sized products and stationery items are among my favorites. They make packing so simple with their empty TSA sized 100mL bottles.

Everyone and everything is gearing up for Oktoberfest. I love seeing products suddenly having Bavarian spirit and lederhosen all over them. Even the Pixar movie 'Oben! (Up!)' is in on the fun with their ad featuring the herzen, roller coaster, and the sky swing. (It says: 'With so much fun you'll lift off') We're slightly behind on the times here - it opens tomorrow.

I noticed Ihr Platz located inside the Ostbahnhof (near the U5 Orleanplatz entrance). Under normal circumstances I really wouldn't write about a drug store, and I realize this sounds ridiculous, but it is open until 10PM - even on Sundays. Talk about revolutionizing shopping in Munich! Really, it's the little things here.

They even have a small grocery section where you can get milk and simple things past 8PM! I'm thrilled - even though I'll only be here for one more weekend this year.

Long Term / Extended Travel Packing

Some of this list is slightly laughable for going lightweight, but to each their own.

I included anything that people would potentially want to bring, so you can always cross things off your own list as you see fit. Thanks also to my friend Cait, who is also planning a trip. It's been so nice to compare lists and have someone to double check with.

Don't forget the added bonus of packing light is having plenty of space for the treasures you find along the way!

(click the image to see it larger)

Long Term / Extended Travel Checklist

I'm not sure if anyone else that reads this will be planning a long term trip, but I figured I could at least share the information that I've gathered along the way so it's not as daunting.

Feel free to add anything I may have forgotten!

(click the image to see it larger)

2 weeks

We are really making progress on the travel plans, which is a very good thing considering we leave 2 weeks from today. I don't even know how to comprehend that. The planning phases are at times very exciting and at other times slightly frustrating, but so far things have worked out wonderfully. (knock on wood!)

Our vaccinations are completed, all of our flights and trains are booked, we have reservations at some pretty stunning hotels - and restaurants.

(As a side note, I just received the Zagat Best Restaurants in the World book today, simply for rating my favorite European restaurants on their site. I'm so excited to check out their recommendations for the cities we'll be visiting. If you haven't signed up I highly recommend it - they send you fun little surprises like this book.)

I'm also really looking forward to seeing friends along the way. The last things to do are to finish up our work weeks. This is Stefan's very last week of work for 4 months! Mine ends next week. I've really enjoyed talking with the tourists and getting tips from about their homelands.

We've exchanged money into a rather large stack of US dollars. We need to pick up our final visa, check our packing list, print our tickets, and then we'll be ready.

The best part is that we get to celebrate before we leave - with a visit to the Oktoberfest! Not bad at all.

If I get some time in the coming days I will try to write a list of things we'll be packing and what we've had to do in preparation for such a long time away.

Münchner Kindl

Sometimes when I walk through town I play spot the Lion or Münchner Kindl, which are both ubiquitous symbols of Munich. They are literally everywhere.

The lion came about because the city was founded by Henry the Lion in 1158. The Münchner Kindl has changed a bit through history - it first began in the 13th century as a monk and over time has transformed into being a young girl. It's very prestigious to be the Münchner Kindl, who leads the Oktoberfest parade.

We will be attending Oktoberfest this year, as always, although I'm not sure if we'll attend the opening parade. While opening day is a lot of fun it's also a lot of drunken people who pass out or get sick before the mayor taps the first keg at the Schottenhamel. I have no issues in avoiding that.

Above is one of my favorite depictions of the Münchner Kindl - atop the Rathaus (town hall) at Marienplatz. It goes easily unnoticed, but it's always watching over this wonderful city.

Schuletüte

All of the little ones are going back to school. The yellow school buses and glorified school supplies are American luxuries that don't exist here. Sadly, you can't even purchase crayola markers in Germany.

The school children don't completely miss out... at least when entering first grade. This momentous occasion is marked with a Schuletüte, which is a cone filled with candies and tiny presents to make the transition a bit easier. Stefan tells me one of his co-workers has a son that just entered first grade and he made his own Schuletüte as a final project in Kindergarten.

The school system in Germany is complex. Can you imagine your grades and test scores in the third grade dictating that professions you could have down the road? In Germany the children are tracked towards attending a Hauptschule (9 years of schooling), Realschule (10 years of schooling), or Gymnasium (12 years of schooling - recently changed from 13).

I still remember my mother in law saying she was amazed that President Obama could come from such humble beginnings and eventually go to a prestigious university and become president. The chances of something like that happening in Germany are slim to none.

Attending Gymnasium paves the easiest route to getting into a University, so the pressure is really on from a very early age. As always, the higher the education the more opportunities and options. This system can be really oppressive to foreigners who haven't grown up with German as a first language.

In the United States, which is the system I am most familiar with, the students attend school until the 12th grade. It strikes Stefan as odd that each and every county and school district can differ in when they have holiday breaks and vacations or when school begins, both in dates and times. What is odd to me is that until recently each and every German state used to decide how many years their children would go to school.

Then there is the issue of perpetual students. Those who were fortunate enough to attend a University often stay there for quite some time they are able to do so because going to a University here is incredibly affordable. Not always, but typically (especially in comparison to the US). There was a large outcry when students were asked to pay roughly 500€ / $700 per semester. Unfortunately at my university it cost about that much for every credit hour - and most people took around 18 a semester.

The perpetual student issue creates a very educated population, however we also have a shrinking population. So many people marry much later here than their counterparts in other countries. That's another issue unto itself.

Kritzelbuch

I keep seeing this book around town and it is absolutely adorable. It's the 'Kinder Künstler Kritzelbuch' (child artist scribble book) from Beltz&Geldberg.

You can see pages from the interior, which include beautiful fill in style illustrations from illustrators like one of my favorite - Philip Waechter (he did the cover).

They say things like 'Das bin ich' (This is me) and 'Und sehe ich aus, wenn ich gross bin' (This is what I look like when I grow up) with space to draw a self-portrait. There are other pages which give suggestions that allow imaginations to run wild.

Here are a few more from the publisher's website:
They say: 1. What grows here? 2. There are a lot of fish under the boat, aren't there? 3. Who was that?

(images: Beltz verlag)

Around the World Travel

There are plenty of resources online regarding long term travel. Here are some that I returned to again and again, as well as a few tips of my own.

If you are planning a trip around the world or for an extended amount of time it's difficult to know where to begin.

This is where we started. These were our our first considerations, and this is a bit of information about our stops along the way (this is still being updated).

You can also pick country or city specific posts by scrolling down on the right.

These are the places we have visited so far:

Here are a plethora of helpful planning links that I frequently use -

Plane
Star Alliance Around the World planner - We chose Star Alliance because of Stefan's Senator Status and also because they fly to the destinations we wanted to visit and they also give us flexibility (we can change dates without paying a fee).

kayak - we frequently use the multi-city tool and I love that it stores my past searches for future visits.

skyscanner - this also scans budget airlines, which can be very helpful in Europe. I also love that you can search by price if you don't care where you go, but don't have tons of money to spend.

Flight Stats - delays and other important information
Flight View - track loved ones as they travel
Flight Memory - keep track of your own flights and stats on airtime
Seat Guru - find the best seat so you have some extra leg room
Startrax - safety ratings for airlines if you need a side flight

Train
Seat 61 - Very concise and well put together information regarding trains around the world.

Make sure you purchase country passes before you get to the country. Often times they are not available once you've arrived.

Bus
Busabout - I've never taken one of these tours, which seem geared towards a college crowd, but I like the idea of traveling above land and stopping in various cities.

Automobile
How far is it? - calculate distances between cities
Google maps - maps and step-by-step directions between multiple locations.
Meet Ways - find a meeting point in the middle

Everything
Travel Independent - this is an incredible resource that is a one stop place to find useful information regarding any and all aspects of being gone for a long time.

Health + Safety
Centers for Disease Control
Fit for Travel
Travel Cautions + Warnings
Travel Registration (for US citizens)
Medgle- search your symptoms
What bit you - images of bugs and their bites

Research
Project Visa - Which countries will you need a visa for and embassy information
Country Specific Information
Travel + Leisure
Time Magazine city guides
Budget Travel
NY Times Travel
Condé Nast Travel
Concierge
World Travel Guide
Famous Wonders of the World
43 places
lonely planet

Packing
What to Pack - while it seems straight forward there are a lot of things that are completely not necessary and can be purchased along the way.

There are plenty of stores online to help make getting supplies easier. I also suggest heading to your nearest outdoor sports shop and a home goods store. We found many practical things that were added to the 'What to Pack' list.

Here are a few of my favorite Travel brands:
ExOfficio - wicking and quick drying undergarments
The North Face - high quality and very durable
Columbia - feminine and simple outdoor wear
I know every country has their own take on these. If you have time in advance to ship things I also suggest checking out Campmor and Backcountry, for discounted apparel.

Hotels
Trip Advisor - see actual candid photos and ratings of hotels and the reasons people like them or don't. There are some major gems if you just look.

airbnb - vacation rentals, private room, and sublets. It always is nice to walk onto the city streets from a neighborhood or unique location rather than a massive hotel. It's a quick way to feel like a local and stay like one, too.

hotels.com - for every 10 nights you stay you get a free room. If you frequently travel this is a really great deal. I also like that it doesn't tie you to one chain.

hostelworld or hostelbookers - I'm not opposed to staying in a hostel, provided I have a private room / bathroom and it is highly rated. Just check out the best boutique hostels and you'll quickly see it's easy to save money and sleep in style.

hotwire - this unfortuantely only works in the US, but you can get a real steal if you simply need a place to stay last minute.

unusual hotels of the world - if you're looking for offbeat this is a great place to start. Some of these are seriously out there. We've stayed in a hospital and I have to say it was lovely.

Design hotels
Splendia
Desighhotels
Epoque
Small Luxury hotels

Restaurants
Food and Wine
Zagat
Chowhound
San Pelligrino 50 best
Unusual Restaurants of the World

Interesting and random travel links

Spots with Free Wifi

Travel Math - a calculator that helps with distance, time, and budgeting
Walki - Talki - audio walking tours for your MP3
single serving - free pocket sized travel phrases in a large number of languages
Trip It - organize your travel plans
Smug Mug - upload your photos to share and download them in full size once you get back.
gadling - travel related news, gadgets, and photos
XE - money conversion
Panoramio- explore the world through other people's photos
locr - locate your photos / geotag through various methods

Hopefully there was something here that will be helpful and useful for you in the future. I'll add more links over time.

Safe and Happy Travels!

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?

heirlooms from the Omas

This weekend we went to visit Oma. I absolutely adore our time with her. She is so full of life and always so incredibly thoughtful. Her kindness is inspiring and she is one of my favorite people. I just want to sit and talk with her for hours.

We left her house with sweets and sekt to celebrate our anniversary and she also gave me a beautiful brooch, which I will always cherish. It made me think about my own Grandmother opening her jewelry box to me and the overwhelmed feeling I had. I didn't want to take her things. Once she passed away I was offered her wedding dress, however I was in junior high and I still regret not taking it. Oddly, I'd go through that feeling once again later in the day.

During our visit we also stopped to visit Stefan's cousin and his wife. I also wish we saw them more often, because we always have such a great time talking and laughing. They are clearing out the other Oma's home after she passed away on their wedding day last year. I cannot fathom having to go through someone's belongings after they pass. We left with some family photos (I can totally see how Stefan turned out to be so handsome), an old typewriter, a handwritten cookbook, and a sewing machine.

I was always sad I couldn't bring my own sewing machine from the US, but with different electricity and it weighing so much it's rather pointless. Hopefully I can figure out how to use hers, which is really built to last. I also want to try my hand at her recipes.

one year ago today

One year ago we were leaving for Iceland + Greenland. I never envisioned what a life changing trip that would be. We were hoping to get back to Iceland during our around the world journey, however there wasn't a logical connection for us.

I'm not overly concerned though, because I know that we'll make it back. Even though it still pains me to say it was already a year ago.

At least there are plenty of beautiful and exotic destinations in the coming months to distract me from missing those beautiful islands.

organic

Whenever I go back to the United States I quickly notice the food differences. I go through this each and every time I return, but it never fails to catch me by surprise. Some ways I am pleasantly surprised -here in Germany the food is so meat and pork heavy (which I'm not a fan of), while other times I crave the produce stands and markets that are quintessentially European (and don't get me started on craving the cheeses).

My old roommate, Julie, just finished working with Americorps at an organic farm in Maine. I also worked in Maine - about 7 years ago, which is when I fell in love with it.

Julie would write to tell me about waking up early to go the farmers market and hanging out with the farm dog. I have a slight envy every time I hear about her adventures - not to mention the blueberries, lobster, puffins, and that gorgeous coast line. She has sent me so many postcards and little packages of things to let me know she's thinking of me, which is so very sweet.

If I had to cash in my city life, I really think I'd love to live on a farm. I know I have romantic notions of what it would be like, but the idea of eco friendly sustainability and having my hands in the soil sounds wonderful. I'm sure it's a thrilling feeling to know you can completely feed yourself on what you grow. Fresh ingredients direct from the plant have become such a luxury.

When we travel back to the Unite States, this winter, I would really like to check out the 'slow food movement' started by Alice Waters of chez panisse. I admire her because she has a fire in her home kitchen that she uses to cook and she encourages having an 'edible schoolyard' where she teaches children to interact with their food - to cultivate it and to be proud that they can grow things. It seems so empowering.

After first moving to Germany I saw a TV show here about the school children here that could not recognize vegetables. I'm not talking a rutabaga or kohlrabi (I didn't even know what that was until I moved here) - they couldn't even recognize carrots. It made me so sad to watch the children run up to the table with excitement when the were told they would able to take these fresh foods home. When they visited one child's home his mother talked about McDonald's and frozen pizzas. Nearly every child could differentiate which fast food restaurant something came from and what it was called. Is that not absolutely heartbreaking? To me it's important to learn how to cook, and to teach early on what healthy eating is.

The Whitehouse / Obamas tried to get in on having an edible landscape. It was planted on March 20th on the south lawn and was 1100 square feet organic herbs, fruits, veggies. The idea is great, but the soil was found to have very high levels of lead.

Sometimes I step back and really consider how much progress has been made and how much things have changed in the last century, but it comes with obvious disadvantages. People no longer need as many children to work on the farms. They've traded family for a faster pace of life and even then there are still population issues. Everything has gone prepackaged and people don't even take the time to feed themselves or their families healthily. Foods (meat especially) are injected with growth hormones. I listen to my friends whose parents are farmers and I know that it's not an easy job to be a small town farmer, especially now that factory farming has entered the game.

I really want to see the movie Food, Inc., which addresses these issues and more.

Although my sister, Stefan, and I went to Maine in March 2008, I dream of going back.

I'm very curious what types of foods I will be encountering through the next few months on our trip. I hope I don't come home too skinny!

(image: food, inc. poster - magnolia pictures)

2 tickets to paradise

Our Star Alliance around the world tickets won't cover all of our flights since there are several locations they don't fly to or we wanted to use extra 'coupons', so there are a few side trips that we will be making.

One stop I cannot keep a secret. We just booked tickets last night to... Aitutaki in the Cook Islands! We decided to go with a far less touristy island, as opposed to Fiji or Tahiti. National Geographic even named it one of the top 12 adventure islands in the world!

After spending our honeymoon in the Maldives we're very accustomed to gorgeous beaches, so we'll see how the Pacific counterpart lives up to things.

Aitutaki's biggest claim to fame, besides it's incredible lagoon, is that it was featured on Survivor: Cook Islands in the United States.

This entire trip will be a complete dream.

(image webshots travel)

clothing + packing

I have a pretty predictable style, at least according to my friend Cait, Stefan, and my sister. Stefan has even gone as far as coining the term 'Emil-ish' if it looks like something I would wear or not.

My friend Lauren tells me I'm not trendy and before I know it I will end up wondering why I never ventured into fashion risk territory while I could be young and adventurous. I prefer to think I will appear slightly more timeless and less dated in photos down the line. That's my theory anyway. I love theme parties and odd costumes... just not on myself. I'd rather have my life be a musical - with normal clothes. Who wouldn't love if people broke out into song in the middle of the streets?

Predictable or not I love simplicity, femininity, and dresses. One side of my closet is entirely devoted to dresses. I have something for every occasion - even down to two dirndls. I'm an over planner. Who knows if I have a friend visit that needs to borrow one, or heavens forbid I'm at Oktoberfest multiple days in a row or someone spills a beer on me.

I think I'm much like any other girl. I can always justify why I would need another dress... never mind the fact I have four that are different styles and just slightly different shades of slate gray. It's one of my favorite colors. It's neutral without being as bold as black. Sometimes I really cringe when I walk down the street and see a woman that looks as if she's dressed to go to a club - at noon.

Packing for this trip is already getting the best of me. Thankfully I am not alone. Stefan keeps reminding himself, or perhaps trying to remind me, that we aren't going to be incredibly far off the beaten track and if we need something chances are good we can find it. Even so, I like to be prepared.

Cait, who is also planning an around-the-world trip of her own (for an entire year!), told me she read it's smart to have long skirts. They are good coverage if say you are on a bus and it stops at a field for a restroom break. I can't think of too many instances where we will be on buses, but better safe than sorry.

I was delighted to find a long lightweight jersey skirt at the store every ex-pat American woman misses - Target. Not only that... it is so versatile that it can be worn as a tube dress or a long skirt. Once again I bought two, of course in different colors. When I find something that works I often purchase it in two colors. I'm sure that can be attributed to my Americanness.

Other travel clothes that I love are Columbia's World Traveler Pants. They look like normal pants, except they are moisture wicking, quick drying, and water repellant. It's amazingly difficult to find clothing that is made for outdoors without looking like you are going on a fishing expedition with massive cargo pockets. I just know I will appreciate feeling feminine and yet remaining modest during our months on the road.

While I was in the US, in June, I also was excited to find a feminine rain jacket. It has frilly shoulders and looks more like a chambray jacket as opposed to something made for rain. Every time I put it on Stefan instantly complements me on how adorable I am. That I will certainly not tire of.

We are wholeheartedly tourists - and I am OK with that. I don't expect to appear local, however I do like to respect and obey local customs. It's so much nicer to blend than to stick out. Even a slight bit of flesh in an Islamic part of the world seriously stands out in attracting unwanted attention. I don't even own one pair of shorts, so it's strictly dresses, skirts, and pants for me.

Alaska won't be included in this trip due to the weather change and not being able to pack for frigidly cold seasons, but we do have many other stops and several exciting events along the way.

I will need a nicer dress for a special surprise event with ~ 70˚F / 21˚C weather, however I can't decide which one to wear... any opinions?

These are my choices... or at least a few of them. I was able to get the subway dress in my size. I am super happy about that.

(images - skirts: Target, pants + jackets: Columbia, dresses: dvF, jcrew, francis, jcrew)

Reeperbahn, St. Pauli, + the port

A visit to Hamburg (at least for first timers) isn't complete without a stop near the St. Pauli / Reeperbahn area. It's Europe's largest red light district - even bigger than Amsterdam's, but it's not as showy. Sure there are plenty of shops advertising things you've never thought of, but visitors also come for other things - like seeing where the Beatles got their start.

In the book Outliers, which I mentioned before, you can read all about the early days of the Beatles in Hamburg. While I'd like to show you pictures of all the places they played at the beginning, we didn't stay in the area too long. We did walk past the Herberstaße, a gated street where women and children are forbidden to enter, where I'm told ladies work the windows. We also saw a woman, presumably a tourist, getting kicked out. Odd. It all seems a bit sensationalized.

From St. Pauli we headed down to the Fish Market and near the harbor. Along the way there are tons of bright houses with interesting paintings, street art, and graffiti.

The area around the old fish market was one of my favorites. The buildings and brick work are much different than in Southern Germany. Even the repurposed buildings are amazingly taken care of and the mixture of old and new blend so nicely together.

A fantastic restaurant, called La Vela, is right near the old fish market - and the food is impeccable. It was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon.

The more touristy St. Pauli waterfront still had plenty of action. There are all kinds of interesting boats, including police, customs, and this old fire boat turned biergarten.

We decided to go on a harbor boat tour, which was really interesting. It's amazing to have these enormous shipping boats right next to tiny boats taking tourists around.

There were boats undergoing repairs on floating docks where the water is drained and refilled. It sort of made me feel as though I was in a children's book as we passed all of the bright colors and admired the details.

There were also many cargo containers being moved and loaded. It was amazing how simple it all looked, as if they were building blocks. Hamburg has around 40 of the big cranes to move things in the harbor - each one costing a cool €8 Million.

We were also lucky to see this oil rig that had recently come in from the North Sea. Our captain was telling us what a difficult job it was to work on that particular boat.

We'll definitely be back to visit Hamburg again. It looks like the gesellen aren't the only ones that love it! (I saw another one here in Munich last week - and this lonesome fellow while in Hamburg.)

You can see his traditional walking stick and a bit more of his costume than in the last photos.

Hamburg + Hafencity

Our first stop was to visit little Moritz and his parents. We had a great time with tons of friends, conversation, and lots of babies. We were the only couple without children. I can't say I envied people when it was time to eat and I didn't have a baby whining or wanting food from my plate. Eating in peace must be such a luxury once children are in the picture.

The day was absolutely sweltering, but everyone had a great time playing yard games after brunch. Later in the afternoon was a big potluck style cookout, which felt so similar to the American cookouts I'm accustomed to. It was really nice. Moritz enjoyed feeding Stefan and everyone was happy. (side note: he doesn't quite fit the lederhosen yet... hopefully next year - in time for Oktoberfest!)

Early Monday we went to explore Hamburg. I immediately loved that it's a decently large city (6th largest in the EU). It seemed like there was a lot more variety in terms of stores and products available.

Right by the train station was Mutterland, which was on my list of places to stop. It's a bit of an upscale grocery / deli / restaurant. Everything is absolutely beautiful - from the displays and product packaging to the food at the restaurant.

It melted my heart when we saw a dog come in and lay near our table while his owner went to get something. I couldn't help but pet him. I desperately need a dog! Instead of leaving with a dog, I left with a full stomach and some beautiful silver decorating sugar from a company called Zucceroo.

The salad was one of the best I've had in a long time. And what I loved most was that everything felt like you were visiting a friend - a friend that makes delicious homemade organic foods. If only we had a Mutterland in Munich.

We also got ice cream - you know I had to sample that. I love Stefan's expression of anticipation (and his Midwest fo Life shirt, being an Ohio girl and all).

After eating quite a large lunch we decided to walk around town and discover some of the sites, particularly near the water. I love cities that have distinct character and Hamburg is certainly one of those.

I noticed these stamps in a shop window - and the lovely handwriting on the card. So pretty! It reminded me of the ones I saw just the other day in Munich.

Once visiting Speicherstadt / Hafencity (warehouse district) it was official this was a charming place. Speicherstadt is the area where the warehouses and the beautiful architecture are surrounded by little canals and new construction.

There are tons of new apartments and lofts and it really integrates new and old very well. Oh, what I wouldn't give to have a beautiful loft in that area! It's one of the big rebuilding projects in Europe, and I can only imagine how cool it will be upon completion, but I was so happy to see it in progress as well.

It's really neat to think about all the produce and goods that are stored within these walls, including the largest storage of Oriental carpets in the world - worth over €1 Billion!

There's always something going on in the harbor and it's really quite fun to watch the ships at work. We stood in awe of how many containers many of them were capable of transporting. Funny to think the containers themselves also occasionally are turned into homes. I'd take one of those too, you know if the loft doesn't work out.

After being adequately worn out we stopped at Engelke for dinner. Throughout this trip I was constantly impressed with the quality, variety, and how reasonably priced food was. I think I need to move to a bigger city... I could really get used to these little luxuries.

Another blessing of being in a shipping town is the availability of products, including some delicious macaroons from Ladurée - direct from Paris.

Tomorrow I'll post about the port tour, the infamous St. Paul district, and the interesting urban details.