Lady(bug) in Red

I haven't had inspiration to write for weeks...until this morning, when I realized I was in a ladybug costume, on the rush hour commuter train. Yep, among the charcoal suits and dark closed toed pumps you could find me in a furry red, black spotted, full body suit. Even though I had concealed the tulle wings underneath my parka, peeking out at the bottom was a bright resemblance of something Curella DeVil would wear. Just another normal Monday.

 Peek-a-Boo

Actually this week is Fasching week. No, not Fashion Week, Fasching. It is basically the Mardi Gras of Germany. While living in Germany it has been a lot of fun participating in new traditions, like Fasching. It is always interesting to see the differences and similarities in cultural celebrations. Here the people celebrate the week leading up to the start of Lent with class parties, carnival festivities, krapfen (jelly filled donuts), and a loud colorful parade through the city center. 

Business Casual

Remember when I wrote in October about how a lot of Germans do not dress up for Halloween? They sure do now! For over a month the stores have been filled with all sorts of bright costumes; hippies, cowboys, clowns, princesses, tigers. You name it. They've got it. My personal favorite, a Native American Princess complete with a headdress.

It's a Bug's Life

Today we celebrated Fasching at school. Every teacher and child wore their costume to school (which explains why I was on the train dressed as a ladybug). At school there were lots of princesses, two Spidermen, and one Batman. The children had a dance party, created Mardi Gras Fasching masks, ate sausages handless off of a string, and decorated clown cupcakes.

Cupcake Clowns

Needless to say, today was full of excitement! Also, a special thank you to my friend Kate over at Cut and Tear for lending me the ladybug costume. It was a big hit among the kids and I am so "lucky" to have worn such a fun outfit!  

Make Mondays Beautiful,

Day Trip to Oberstdorf, Germany

Husband and I have become pretty big homebodies since moving to Germany. During the week we are surrounded by another language, different cultural norms, and frankly all around unfamiliar territory. When the weekends roll around for us, otherwise self-aware confidants, lounging in our pajamas on the couch seems appealing against the unknown, or the more scary, unexpected.

Reading about Breitachklamm in Deutsch

Halfway Down a Gorge

See the river down below?

 Our recent trip to Murnau, Germany made me realize we need to spend more days out exploring the areas around Munich. If we aren't taking advantage of our time now, before we know it we will be back in Texas with a case of the coulda, woulda, shouldas. 

Winter Hike in the Alps

So last Friday, with no weekend plans in mind, I decided to google "Top 10 Things to do in the Bavarian Alps." Don't you just love Google? Right there on my commuter train, at my finger tips were countless links with ideas of how to spend time in the Bavarian Alps. I happened to pull up About's Top Ten Things to do in Bavaria. Scrolling down the list I realized Husband and I have already completed 9 of the 10 suggestions! Maybe we aren't as bad of couch potatoes after all...

Beautiful Flowing River

Reading through About's Top Ten list, #5 Bavarian Alps caught my eye:  "Some of the most well-known resort towns in the German Alps are Oberstdorf, Füssen, Berchtesgaden, and Garmisch-Partenkirchen." Husband and I have been to both Fussen and Garmisch-Partenkirchen, plan to visit Berchtesgaden in the spring, but Oberstdorf? Again, another Google search...

Stuck in a Hard Place

Less than a two hour drive from Munich, Oberstdorf is located in the far southwestern part of Germany. Beautiful Alp mountainsides are the main focal point with the borders of Austria and Switzerland close by. Oberstdorf is a popular winter sports area and is famous for their annual ski jump competition. Remember when Husband an I visited the ski jump in Garmisch-Partenkirchen? Besides winter sports, Oberstdorf has plenty of other attractions as well.

Frozen in Time

Shelby Dog Exploring the Gorge!

Searching Oberstdorf's attractions on TripAdvisor, I found the number one thing to do was visit Breitach Klamm. This is a nature monument that is considered one of Middle Europe's deepest and most impressive rocky gorges. The summer photographs looked green and lush, but seeing winter pictures made me want to go immediately! 

Frozen Mountainside Waterfall

Ice Ice Baby!

In the wintertime, Breitach Klamm is a real-life ice exhibit that even the fanciest man-made ice sculptures can not compare. The frozen waterfalls, 10 foot hanging icicles, and snow covered cliffs presented a glistening winter wonderland. Husband and I spent around 2 hours hiking through the sand covered pathways, careful of the rocky overhangs, immersed in this natural beauty. Exploring the frozen gorge at Breitach Klamm has definitely made it's place as one of my favorite memories. It sure beats the couch!

Making Icy Memories

Make Winter Beautiful,

Day Trip to Murnau, Germany

Husband and I have been to the ski resort alpine town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen several times. Located in the Alps it is a great place to see Olympic sites and the Bavarian styled houses. It is a well visited area between tourists and ski enthusiast.

Murnau am Staffelsee

Just below the Alps is a much quieter if not more charming market town called Murnau. The town is one of three located on Staffelsee. There are walking trails along the water that connect the towns with scenic viewpoints. With the Alps mountain range as a backdrop, the blue village below is a gorgeous place to relax.

Murnau Morning

Mr. and Mrs.

Husband and I had the pleasure of joining our friends for a Saturday outing. We spent the morning walking from Murnau to Seehausen along the lakeside and through the quiet neighborhoods. It was nice to spend some peaceful time in nature that is otherwise more crowded with people during the summer months. Our roundtrip walk to the next town and back to Murnau took about two hours.

Murnau Lakeside

Halfway between Murnau and Seehausen

After our walk by the lake, we decided to enjoy the cobble-stoned pedestrian only main shopping street in the middle of Murnau. The mom and pop shops were busy with people taking care of their Saturday late morning errands. By 1 o'clock most of the shops closed for the remaining weekend. 

Shopping Street in Murnau

When lunchtime arrived our friends took us to Griesbrau Brewery. It is the number 2 rated restaurant in Murnau and it did not disappoint. The beer hall was long with massive doomed white ceilings, brick floors, and grand archways. The giant cooper brewing kettles greeted you at the front door and later on I learned you can take a beer tour. Not far from the brewing kettles was an open kitchen concept which showed your food being prepared right out in the open. When I say "out in the open" I literally mean out in the open. On the way to our table we passed right next to a  jumbo large cast iron skillet heating over a propane tank boiling white sausages. 

Griesbrau

At Griesbrau, we not only enjoyed the beautiful atmosphere but the food was delicious as well. We ate traditional German food of weisswurst, schnitzel, red cabbage, roasted potatoes, and potato salad. Husband drank a dunkel beer that he claims is darker and heavier than most dark German lagers. I drank a russ beer which is very similar to the ever popular radler. The russ beer is different than the radler because it is a mixture of wheat beer and lemon instead of helles. The beers were brewed right on site and it was a nice change from our normal Munich beers. Husband is already planning a brewery tour with his buddies. 

Brew Kettles at Griesbrau

After lunch, we walked wobbled over to what my friend claims is the best bakery cafe in town. One thing I love about European living, is the daily routine of drinking an afternoon coffee and enjoying a piece of cake. At 2 p.m. there was not an empty table inside the cafe. I stood in line at the counter in front of 15 different cakes trying to decide what piece looked best. After about 5 minutes, I decided to try a cherry cheesecake. It called cheesecake because it is made with cheese not cream cheese like most Americans are used to. I was very pleased with my decision! 

Details in Murnau

Murnau is about a 45 minute drive from Munich and is well worth a stop if you are wanting to get off of the "tourist path". The drive is a straight shot and not too bad if you have your car properly serviced. If you ignore, or question check engine lights than you might end up sitting in a McDonalds drinking another coffee while the men try to figure out the German car manuals. I will give Husband the benefit of the doubt, our car Flash has two coolant tanks. This is not anything he had seen before living in German! We are constantly learning new things and overcoming unexpected challenges living abroad.

German Engineering

Happy Weekend,
 

Addicted to Love (and a good bargain)

 Back in 2011 when Husband was just Boyfriend, Valentine's Day fell on a Monday. Husband was traveling for work that week so we postponed our Valentine's celebration. We decided to honor Valentine's Day on February 17th instead of the 14th. This turned out to be a great idea!

Maren and Boyfriend 2011

For Valentine's Day, I decided to make Husband a fleece blanket big enough for two people. Since we both went to rival universities I wanted each of our schools to be represented. One side of the blanket was Husband's university and the other side mine. (Wreck 'em!) I bought 2 yards of each fleece material at my local fabric shop. The total came out to be $60 and I nearly fainted right there in the check out line. My first thought was "OH crap that is expensive." and then "Will he realize how nice this blanket is?" (I really should do mental math more often) With no other creative gift idea in my mind I sucked it up and took my new fleece fabric home.

Texas Tech Fleece

This entry isn't about how to make the fleece blanket but you can find directions here.

Texas A&M Fleece

When the fleece blanket was finished I decided the best packaging option would be a gift basket. If you know me, you know I love gift themes. Every gift has to have a theme! For Husband's Valentine present I decided to do a movie basket theme. I went out and bought a movie he would enjoy. Another $20 spent, my gift was now grand totaling at $80 and closing in on our set amount. (100 bucks)

"Valentine's Day" 2011

To fill the rest of the movie basket, I went to our local popcorn shop and picked up some goodies. I bought 3 different flavors of popcorn; Dill Pickle (my fav!), Candy Coated, and McKinney Mix (jalapeno and caramel). There I was also able to buy two sugarcane Dublin Dr. Peppers in the vintage glass bottles. How cute! $10 spent at Mom and Pop Popcorn brought the gift total to $90.

Valentine's Day 2012

The great thing about celebrating Valentine's Day after February 14th is everything cupid related is slashed at least 50% off! Chocolate, candy, and cookies do not go bad automatically the day after Valentine's but stores must clear the pink and red aisles for the next big holiday, St. Patrick's Day. 

How Cute Is This! Source

At my local Wal-Mart and Cookies 'n Bloom Bakery I bought an assortment of Valentine's candy and heart shaped sugar cookies to add to the movie basket for less than half the original cost. My remaining budgeted ten dollars went much farther than it would have a few days prior. This sweet purchase brought the movie basket right in at our set limit amount. 

Boyfriend's Movie Basket in 2011

Sure Valentine's Day was technically over...but Husband and I can celebrate the love for each other any day of the year! In 2011, it happened to be on three days later on February 17th. Here we are in 2014, still cuddled up on the couch enjoying movies together and keeping each other warm underneath that fleece blanket.

February 2013

Addicted to Love,

Ireland in a Week

Ocassionally I receive emails from people asking about the places Husband and I have traveled. I have our destinations listed under the "Travel" tab with links to entries with information. I am always thrilled to help so if you have additional questions don't hesitate to ask!

Right before our big move, Husband and I honeymooned in Ireland and Scotland. In the middle of wedding activities and the hecticness of our move, Ireland and Scotland blog reviews got overlooked. One year and a half later, I'm finally getting around to sharing my opinion. Better late than never right?

Some trips can leave you needing a vacation from the vacation. We had been on trips before where we just ran, ran, ran from one city to the next trying to see as much as possible. This time, Husband and I wanted our trip to be relaxing and not rushed. With this in mind we chose to stay in one location, Killarney, during our time in Ireland.

Hotel:
Among the rolling hills, dotted lakes, and narrow two lane roads, Kerry County is charming with quaint "mom and pop" bed and breakfasts. In the town of Killarney, Husband and I stayed 5 nights at the Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast. It is a family run Bed and Breakfast on the banks of the River Flesk. Husband and I enjoyed sipping our tea outside overlooking the river and lush forest on the cozy deck.

The best part about staying at the Crystal Springs Bed and Breakfast was the hot homemade breakfast each morning! Husband even tried blood sausage but I passed on that! I instead loved the hot porridge with brown sugar, whipped cream, and Baileys. Seriously, Baileys on top of oatmeal! It was an Irish dream come true for my taste buds. Forget those Lucky Charms!

Sight Seeing:

Killarney National Forest

Husband and I hiked through the Killarney National Forest on two different days. Tucked back off of the main pathways you will find hiking trails graded by level of difficulty. The path we chose was a moderate level hike and lead to this amazing waterfall. Not used to much walking coming from suburban living, we were sweating, sore, and jet lagged but the beautiful green surroundings were well worth the time AND energy. You could easily spend one day just walking around the forest. We saw several couples stopping for picnics along the way.

Muckross Estate

Muckross Estate is a former hunting lodge set in the front part of Killarney National Forest. We took a tour of the house and found it's history interesting. The hunting lodge was a wedding present to an American girl from her family who ran a California vineyard. Not a bad gift, eh?

Ring of Kerry

Husband and I spent an entire day driving in our rented car around the Ring of Kerry. If you drove straight through without stopping the loop drive would take you around four hours. All along the Ring of Kerry are pull offs with fantastic photo opportunities. The rolling land and steep hills were breathtaking. I loved the stone walls between the farm fields, sheep sightings, and of course when we stopped so I could enjoy an Irish coffee. Check out the Red Fox Inn for good Irish Coffee!

Ballycarberry Castle

Cahersiveen is a quaint town along the Ring of Kerry. While driving on the main street, Husband and I saw a castle up on a hill in the distant countryside. With all the time in the world, we decided to go exploring off the tourist trail. After a 10 minute drive through the winding back roads and across the river, we came to the abandoned castle set on private property. A weathered looking sign at the fence line told us a brief history of Ballycarberry Castle. An open gate and a beaten dirt trail through the tall grass field just beckoned for us to come on it. There Husband and I were, in the hills of Ireland climbing over decaying castle walls in what would become one of our favorite all time memories.

Cahergall Stone Fort

Just a bit down the road from Ballycarberry, Husband saw a historic sign for a ring fort.  There in the middle of the countryside we pulled into a three car "parking lot" set on the edge of some farmer's land. With sheep on both sides as our audience, we took a 5 minute hike down another dirt path until we came upon the Cahergall Stone Fort. The ancient stone walls were about 7 feet thick of stone but the walking ledges were only 1 foot thick (and a drop straight down!) and went up to several different levels. Husband climbed all the way to the top but halfway up the stone wall was enough for me. Can you imagine having an ancient ruin set on your farmland?

Ross Castle

Ross Castle is in Killarney where our hotel was located. It is a similar style to the Blarney Castle. Since a visit to Blarney Castle was set in our plans, Husband and I did not tour the inside of Ross Castle. Instead we looked around the outside and enjoyed the views next to the river.

Dingle Crystal

Another day Husband and I toured Dingle Peninsula. We only spent a few hours in Dingle, Ireland but wish we would have planned a night's stay. Dingle was a bit smaller than Killarney and had a nice view on the North Atlantic. In the town of Dingle we enjoyed the best fish and chips of our trip. After lunch we shopped the cobble stone streets and stumbled into Dingle Crystal. The crystal shop is family run and is set up as a personal museum. The owner earned a certified crystal cutting certification from Waterford back in the 1970s. After Waterford moved out of Ireland, the owner continued cutting crystal and opened his own shop in Dingle. His crystal pieces are shipped all over the world and he has some loyal NFL customers. The prices for a crystal piece are pretty reasonable for a special souvenir. 

Blarney Castle

The "Eiffel Tower" of Ireland, Blarney Castle was the most touristic spot on our trip. We waited for nearly two hours to climb up into the square tower to see the famous Blarney Stone. In the end we are glad we went but it was not one of our favorite sites in Ireland. How can you compare being alone in an abandoned castle in the middle of nowhere to a long line of anxious tourists? 

Husband and I loved visiting Ireland. The people were friendly, the land gorgeous green, and the food comforting. (the accents aren't bad either!) Another visit is already on our trip radar but next time it will be an extended weekend in Dublin. From Munich we can find pretty decent flight options. It is just a matter of picking a time!

Luck o' the Irish,

Inside Blarney Castle