It's so hard, to say goodbye... Seriously! How is it over already? We had an excellent second day in Munich. This city reminds me a bit of Boston with its tube (subway) running down the middle of the street. I wish we had a bit more healthy time to explore...I can't help feeling like there is some great shopping I'm missing :). And it's the end of another blog. So sad! (590 blog views yesterday...I know that means nothing to anybody else, but I'm feeling some pressure to be witty tonight!)
Check out breakfast at Hotel Uhland. Coleslaw for breakfast? How about some sauerkraut? I love Europe...where I'd never have to eat breakfast cereal ever again.
And yes, Bender had muesli- it is Bender we're talking about- but he also had a salami sandwich!!
Big smiles all around on our last day!! Especially from Zoe who woke super hungry!
Heading out to explore Munich.
When in Munich, where do you go? The flagship Adidas store of course. At least that was tops on my boys' list :)
At least they were checking the sale rack!
Both Bender boys got some new duds! Zack has already set his new outfit out to wear on the plane tomorrow.
Zoe is feeling completely better...really!
On to exploring Marienplatz and the Rathaus-Glockenspiel.
Then we were off to Viktualienmarkt for lunch.
Zoe wanted more watermelon for lunch..so we started shopping for lunch at produce stores.
Then we were on to our tube ride to Allianz Arena. Boys were psyched!
We literally could not keep up with this boy. We were running a few minutes late (do you see how far we had to walk? Craziness!) and he was worried we'd miss it!
Bender ran uphill with Zoe on his shoulders - if he hadn't run this morning, he could have used it as his workout.
So we were late, but it was fine. We joined the English speaking tour leaving 15 minutes later. And what a cool experience. I'll definitely feel differently the next time I watch Bayern Munich play! Our tour guide was awesome! My favorite part was learning all about the ways they take care of the pitch. The ground is heated so snow melts, they have machines that provide artificial sunlight (like big lamps), the amount of moisture in the soil is all computer monitored, and there are bunches of fans pointed at he grass. We also learned a small portion is artificial but doesn't affect the way the ball plays because it's shorter than the real grass. Interesting stuff!
Zack hanging with some pals!
This is my crew walking up the stairs through the flap on to the field. Same route the players use from the (less than impressive) locker rooms. And I'm not joking about the locker rooms. Florida gymnastics, UNC lacrosse, Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders...all have nicer locker rooms!
Then it was on to the museum.
Super fun but obviously exhausting. Poor boy fell asleep on the tube!
Off for more exploring! We checked out the area near the Munich Residence where the royal family used to live.
And we made it to see the crazy surfers in the stream in the English Garden! Amazing!
We went back to the hotel to do some preliminary packing and decided we just didn't have enough stuff! So off to the supermarket it was! We stocked up on gummy bears and chocolate and some marzipan for Ms. Rumy.
Then it was on to dinner. After my post last night, we got recommendations for two beer gardens we had to hit. It was going to be a busy night.
The first was Augustiner-Keller.
We actually sat right next to the band while the kids ate and Bender and I had a beer.
More chicken. I must admit, I really miss schnitzel and spaetzle...but this area doesn't seem to have much of it. Maybe it's just too hot for most people.
Next, it was on to Königlicher Hirschgarten. Another super fun and less crowded beer garden.
The kids got ice cream,
I got beer,
The kids also shared some chocolate covered strawberries
while Bender had some crepes.
It was the perfect way to end our time in Munich, Germany and Europe.
And now, I'm off to bed. Our flight leaves at 6am Munich time (midnight Florida time) - so the alarm is set for 3:45. Hopefully everyone will sleep good on the planes. We should be back in Jax Tuesday evening. I'm not sure what time zone we'll be functioning in though ;)
Thanks for traveling with us. We all enjoyed reading your comments and definitely felt your prayers when Zoe was sick.
The kids and I are already routing for an Ireland/England adventure before our scheduled Australia adventure in 2050 (ok...not that far away, but definitely far enough away to squeeze in more Europe!).
Sleep tight!
XOXO,
Benderz
