I’m sitting in the Munich airport tiredly waiting to board my flight to Italy after wrapping up a wild 3 days in Germany. I haven’t eaten a single vegetable since I landed here on Thursday because Germans literally don’t see vegetables as part of the food pyramid. Instead, my hosts have excitedly replaced that portion of my diet with authentic german beer. Being vegetarian for 2 years, and vegan for a few months before this trip made it hard for me to cheerfully nom on meatloaf for breakfast, sausage for lunch, and schnitzel for dinner….3 days in a row (although the wonderful array of sweet, sour, and spicy mustards made it bearable). I stayed with 2 german brothers that I met & hiked with for a couple weeks on the Pacific Crest Trail last summer. They were so excited to show me this beautiful country that they are so proud to call home. Our first stop after the airport was for beer (surprise!) which we shared over many laughs about our time shared in the mountains last summer. After allowing my mind to catch up to my body here in Germany with a 14 hour slumber, I was ready to dive in. We took a train from their small town of Vilsheim into Munich. We took part in the tourist activities and climbed a tower for a view of the city, visited the Olympic Games site of 1972, and even found the ‘devils footprint’ in the main church. There was much less english throughout the city than I expected, so I solely relied on my friends to navigate the metro & translate all the plaques and signs for me (thank goodness I had them!) That night I got to see how 20-somethings in Germany enjoy their Friday nights, and Germans definitely know how to have fun! All the young people speak pretty good english, because it is required for their school. I was very thankful for this because it allowed me to have fluid conversations with all these special people, most of whom were exited to talk about the US (and make fun of our healthcare). Saturday brought sunshine… and more meatloaf for breakfast. We spent the day in a town called Landshut which was built in 1200 and the main streets all have the original buildings. This town is also home to the tallest brick building in the world! It is a church that was built in 1300 and the story is that they wanted to build it so high so that they could spit in the soup of the dukes who lived in the castle up on the hill. I also got to visit this castle which was breathtaking. It still had the torture chamber, the well, and a magnificent view over the town. It was so surreal to be standing on the same brick that someone would have stood on almost 1,000 years ago- how different their view would have been! Although I am excited to give the sausages a rest, I have fallen in love with german architecture and their general happy-go-lucky spirit through life. Thank you Germany for reminding me that I can live everyday as a party!
2 thoughts on “Meatloaf for Breakfast & Medieval Castles”
Awesome experience!!! Love reading about your adventures!
Hi Fern, and Buen Camino. Sounds like you are walking/working hard, and reaping the benefits. I thought I posted last week, but I guess it floated out into the ether.
I was heartbroken about the caged dogs. Made me cry, too. Can’t imagine the frustration you felt in person! It is hard to imagine people that thoughtless and cruel.
Thanks for all your posts, your insights and your feelings. This journey is now part of your soul., m’dear. God’s blessings, Bonnie
Awesome experience!!! Love reading about your adventures!
Hi Fern, and Buen Camino. Sounds like you are walking/working hard, and reaping the benefits. I thought I posted last week, but I guess it floated out into the ether.
I was heartbroken about the caged dogs. Made me cry, too. Can’t imagine the frustration you felt in person! It is hard to imagine people that thoughtless and cruel.
Thanks for all your posts, your insights and your feelings. This journey is now part of your soul., m’dear. God’s blessings, Bonnie