Jessica and Ben (Matt's sister and our brother-in-law) arrived in Frankfurt on a morning flight in good spirits. We promptly whisked them to the Pfungstadt brewery for their first German meal and beer. No beer for me at our favorite brewery? Needless to say it didn't take much longer than the drink order for us to bust out the news that we were pregnant! We were really excited to share the news with Jessica and Ben as they would be the first and only family members that we would have the opportunity to tell in person.
The next morning, we drove to Munich for a couple of days of touring. We had already been to Munich with Matt's parents, but there were plenty of new things to see, beginning with the Sengliger Tor, a former town gate flanked by two medieval towers like the one below.
We also visited Asamkirche, unassuming from the outside, but decorated in lavish rococo style. Although we couldn't actually enter the sanctuary, Matt was able to capture the ornate interior from behind an iron gate.
Gilded skeletons in the church entrance- by far one of the spookiest displays we've seen in a German church.
Jessica and Ben in front of the Neues Rathaus (New City Hall) in Marienplatz
Next, we walked through the Viktualienmarkt (Latin for food market), sampling spicy sausage sticks and a sweet-and-sour pickle for the pregnant lady. Pregnant or not pregnant, it was delicious.
Unfortunately, Jessica and Ben's "spring break trip" to Germany wasn't all that springy; in fact it was downright wintry, which was only made worse by temperatures back in Iowa in the mid 50s. As such, our visit the next day to Schloss Nymphenburg reminded us more of a Russian palace in winter. While the exterior of this baroque castle left much to be desired, the interior was quite beautiful.
Ceiling fresco painted between 1755 and 1757
This is King Ludwig I's "Gallery of Beauties," filled with portraits of many beautiful women from various countries. Perhaps Ludwig I's own personal 17th century centerfolds? Or maybe not, apparently portraits of his sister and daughter are among the collection.
Lunch at the Hofbrauhaus...
Not quite sick of German grub, yet...
Later that day, enroute to the Englischer Garten, we literally ran into an Irish parade. This was the closest we got to celebrating St. Patrick's Day!
The park would have been really enjoyable in beautiful spring weather, but no such luck for us. After finding the Chinesischer Turm (Chinese Pagoda), we promptly began the journey back to our hotel for a break before dinner.
That night, Matt brilliantly thought to check Trip Advisor for a dinner recommendation. When he saw a Mexican restaurant rated #1 of more than a thousand restaurants in all of Munich, we decided to check it out. I should mention that it is possible to find Mexican food in Germany, but it is typically sub-par, to say the least. From the obviously homemade tortilla chips and guacamole, to the margaritas (from what I heard), to the high-quality ingredients in all of our entrees and desserts, this was hands down the best Mexican food we have had in Europe to date. So good, in fact, that we felt compelled to ask the waiter to pass those exact words on to the chef. Four complimentary tequila shots later (way to take one- I mean four- for the team, J and B), the chef/owner was at our table telling us how he was originally from Tijuana and had lived in California, and asking us to spread the word about his restaurant. So, to our small readership: When in Munich, don't miss El Gordo Loco; you won't be disappointed! This was a really memorable night and a great close to our time in Munich.
Just for a laugh, here is a pretty funny English translation of a German menu somewhere in Munich:
- "two little legs of pork"- not to be confused with the little pigs that went to the market; and
- red cabbage and dumplings "in a napkin"- not sure I want to know what that means.
