First Day in Munich

Landing in Munich at 9:30 this morning, to say that we were tired is an understatement. Of course, who can actually get a decent night's sleep on a plane? Not me. Not only did I have a woman kicking the back of my seat the full 7 hour plane ride, but attempting to position your head with the pillow provided...yeah, I might as well try my attempts as a contortionist.

Arriving at our hotel, we were unable to check in, so we checked our luggage and went on our way, facing Munich head on. Grateful for the sunshine, we stepped outside to be greeted with the sun on our faces and a warmth that I was hoping for on this trip. Walking past the Hauptbahnhof (the main train station), we pushed forward to the city center.

A little miffed that my good Fossil sunglasses decided to lose a screw, I walked the streets squinting and attempting to guide us there via two maps. Entering the main city center, we were surrounded by shops (many of which were laughable at the possibility of entering because of its high priced content) and caves, each offering authentic German delicacies. However, no scene was quite as impressive as the Viktualienmarkt. A large, open market, visitors were surrounded by food (sausages, breads, pastries, vegetables the size of my head, and cheeses), flowers that emitted the most fragrant aromas and bloomed brightly, as well as teas and hand-made novelty items for tourists and locals.

Housed in one large area, we walked away from the market and stepped inside St. Peter's Church. A 14th-century church, it's beauty shown through the massive altar at the front of the church. I don't know about anyone else, but visiting churches in one of my favorite things to do when in another country. To some, once you've seen one, you've seen them all, but I highly disagree. I have seen some amazing churches, none of which resemble another. Each has its own atmosphere, reasoning and history. St. Peter's provided a beautiful setting for those wishing to spend some time in playful solace.

At this point, our stomachs were grumbling. The last thing we had eaten was a few slices of deli meat, part of a blueberry muffin, and a roll, which was our "breakfast" on the plane. Speaking of the plane, although the loss of sleep was unfortunate, the ability to enjoy a glass of white wine, receive a handy-dandy personal kit complete with an eye mask, toothbrush and toothpaste, socks, earbuds, and ear plugs, Air Berlin did well in keeping its fliers content and happy. It also helped that come 6 a.m., a warm towel was placed in my hands :)

Since out stomachs were making themselves known...loudly, we stumbled upon the Hard Rock Cafe. For those of you who know, I collect HRC shirts from each place I visit. Happy to be sitting down, we split a plate of their infamous nachos before moving on to our next stop. Of course, I had to buy myself a t-shirt since that's sort of my thing.

Noticing that Hofbrauhaus sat next to the HRC, we opted to revisit the area in the next few days. After all, you simply cannot visit Munich without going to Hofbrauhaus, sitting down and throwing back one of their infamous boot beers.

Back in the room at 4 p.m., our intentions were not to fall asleep, but unfortunately, jet lag had its own agenda. Waking up at 7:30 p.m. There was no doubt that we were in for the night...after all, we have a full day ahead tomorrow -- we're going to the land of the Sound of Music and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart -- Salzburg, Austria!!!

Critics: Don't Listen to Them

A good friend of mine is in the starting leg of an amazing 140 + day, world trip. Bitten by the travel bug, much like me, she is far more experienced and "worldly" than I at this point in our lives. Having studied abroad while in college, and currently studying in New Zealand, she has traveled far and wide, and yet, her hunger for travel continues, much like mine.

In a recent blog article, she wrote about her critics and those who find her passion for travel to be shall we say, an excuse to get away from the troubles of life. In response to her blog article, I wrote her with full intentions of showing my support for her passion.

You see, the two of us became friends because a dear and close friend of mine was dating her. Once I discovered her intrigue for traveling, we clicked instantly. Ever since, we have remained close and often talk about our future travels and how we will one day run into each other while gallivanting around the world. 

I would like to share with you what I wrote, in hopes that, for any of you who wish to travel but have many of those same critics, that you will not give up hope, but instead, travel anywhere and everywhere.

"Casey - I have been told that I am irresponsible and immature for wanting to spend my money on traveling -- that I'm not taking the "responsible" route and money for an apartment, etc...

I find it deplorable that people would stomp on my dreams simply because they cannot bring themselves to enjoy the wonders of this world. Traveling is not meant to wait until we are old and retired...it is meant for all ages, at any stage in life.

Of course, my philosophy is "do it while you're young." Thankfully, I have the support of my family and close friends who witness my irresistible urge to travel and actually support me in this.

Never listen to those critics...they'll never understand or appreciate the art of traveling and its ability to mold us travelers into well-rounded people who 1) don't take for granted the earth in which we live 2) can see life for more than its pithy arguments and differences, but instead, find the similarities that bond us together, and 3) love to experience life outside the normal routine of every day life.

You and I were given a gift, the gift of wanderlust. To travel the world is to learn, live and most of all, love.

I know my mini-rant here may sound cheesy, but it's true. Not many people are given this gift, and to those who have it, it will never be a gift that is taking for granted. It will never be satisfied.

One thing I've always told myself, since I've been bitten by the travel bug, is when I die, I want to look back and say that I stepped outside my comfort zone, that I faced the world and all its beauty, that I experienced a world that despite all of its differences, is a world of hope and adventure.

No country or culture is meant to be learned through a textbook, instead, it was meant for us to see and experience first-hand.

Safe travels my beautiful friend.

Travel buddies for life -- Nicole"

For any of you who follow my blog and would like to follow hers, visit http://gallivantology.blogspot.com/

I promise, you won't be disappointed :)

So Embarrassed....

I am so incredibly embarrassed. I have never let myself go this long without blogging. Life sometimes takes unexpected turns, creating less and less time for "pleasurable" activites and "reflective" activities like blogging.

In 23 days, I will be leaving for 2 1/2 weeks to Germany and Poland. To say I am excited is an understatement. The chance to see even more of this wide and amazing world, I'm forever grateful and humbled.  However, as excited as I am, there are still so many things left to do before I leave...like book my tours, buy all the necessary items needed when traveling, plan my days, etc...

My devotion to planning may be extreme to some, but the way I look at it, if I'm spending the money and the time, I'm going to make sure every single moment of every day is filled with doing something and seeing something I may never get the chance to see again.

I will be lucky enough to take my iPad with me on this trip, and fully intend on blogging while I am away.  I will keep all of you up-to-date on my trip and look forward to sharing my amazing vacation with all of you.

Thank you for being so loyal and understanding during my time away. I hope to provide you with a look inside another part of the world here very soon!!!!

I Will Appreciate This...

I am so ashamed and saddened at the fact that I have not blogged for more than two months. Blogging is my source of relief, my way of sharing my emotions and feelings towards something I love. It allows me to express my ideas, opinions, and promises, even if it is only me reading it.

To be given the ability to share my experiences and pictures with others, I can't think of a better way to spend my time. Unfortunately, life sometimes gets in the way, making it difficult to make time for the things we love and enjoy.

Since my last blog post, things have gotten quite hectic at work and within my own personal life. While work has occupied most of my time, I have been suffering from some medical issues that have left me feeling somewhat...unmotivated, which I absolutely hate!

However, as this year comes to an end, I look forward to the newness that 2013 will bring. Hoping it will bring good times, good news, and great company, one thing is for sure, 2013 will bring with it a trip that I have been looking forward to taking for as long as I can remember. Although plane tickets are not booked quite yet, all of the wheels are in motion and come March, I will be traveling through Germany and Poland. Experiencing all the wonders and history that these two countries possess, the history nerd inside of me can hardly wait.

So, as 2012 comes to a close, I will appreciate the memories and opportunities that have been given to me. The opportunity to travel to Ireland with my mom and see a part of the world that beholds so much beauty and peace that it can only be appreciated when fully immersed in its landscapes and countrysides.  I will appreciate the every day redundance that life can sometimes bring, whether it be through work or at home.

Most of all, I will appreciate the opportunity to do all of these things, to see the world, to have a job, to have a family who loves me and friends who do the same, to have pets who bring so much joy into my life, and to have a God who has blessed me with all of these wonderful pieces of life that I am much too unworthy of receiving.

Time for Some Advice

Okay everyone, it is that time again that I call upon all of my lovely readers for your expert advice. I am in the beginning stages of planning my next trip and I would love to hear your do's and don'ts, the must see's and the can do without's.

So, here's my plan: Someone around February or March, I plan to travel to Germany and Poland. My route will be something like, landing in Munich and spending a few days (3-5) in the city and taking day trips to Nuremburg and the Bavarian Alps area, then taking the train to Krakow and visiting Auschwitz while I am there. After Krakow, I am looking to take the train to Warsaw and then finish my trip in Berlin.

I have already looked up numerous tours in various places and keep in mind, I'm a HUGE history buff, so any historical museums, sites, etc...that you think are worthy of my time, please offer them up!

Also, any restaurants, shops, hidden treasures, as well as travel tips in these areas, I would appreciate any and all advice!!!!

Wicklow Mountains of Dublin

Natural beauty can be found in so many places. To say that it exists in only a few small areas would be absurd, and in the country of Ireland…it can be found in the masses. Dublin is a prime example, or maybe more so, the city of Wicklow.

Taking a tour through the Wicklow Mountains, we were given a little slice of Heaven. First, our tour guide, Stephen, made the experience well worth our while. Second, although Galway remains my favorite for sightseeing and countryside beauty, Wicklow remains second best.

In fact, I’m going to let you see for yourselves….

 

 

The "Guniness" Lake. It sits on the Guniness Family property.
 

This is the bridge featured in "P.S. I Love You" where Gerard Butler meets Hilary Swank for the first time.

 

 

 

    

Birds of Prey

I’m not a huge bird lover. It’s not that I don’t like them, but I’m more partial to cats and dogs. That is, until we visited a bird of prey sanctuary in Galway. Opting to take a tour to the Cliffs of Moher, we traveled through The Burren area, which lies in Northern County Clare and Southern Galway. One of the stops on our tour was to visit the Birds of Prey Sanctuary and Educational Centre.

Now, I’ve been through other educational/animal attractions (i.e. zoos) and I love them, but I have to admit, I wasn’t too excited about this particular stop off. Getting off the bus, we entered the sanctuary to see various birds awaiting our eager eyes…or at least some eager eyes. It was quite chilly outside so, getting indoors was nice and pleasant.

Rounding the corner of this outdoor sanctuary, I was shocked at the beauty of these gorgeous creatures. Hawks, owls, vultures, and other exotic birds stood behind these cages just watching and waiting. Screeches from various owls could be heard throughout the enclosure and I quickly found myself grabbing for my video camera. Turning it on, I was enamored with each individual bird.

Coming up on a snow white owl, I looked at my mom and remarked, “It’s Hedwig!” Laughing at the hilarity of my comment, I couldn’t help but wish that it was coming home with me. Sitting on the ground, it sat there with its eyes closed and looking content.

Vultures splayed their wings for us and owls played peek-a-boo as we struggled to get them to look at us, only to take the camera away from the readied position before they turn quickly enough as if to say “Ha Ha, I don’t think so, tourist!”

Before entering the sanctuary, we were told that we would be watching an owl demonstration. After seeing all of these gorgeous birds, I quickly made my way out to the demonstration area and took a seat in the first row of wooden bleacher s. Out walked the “bird whisperer” as I like to refer to him. After giving his speech about the owls in their enclosure and how they go about training and raising them, he yelled for Jenny.

Suddenly, this white owl (not Hedwig, unfortunately) came flying out of a cage and onto his arm. Prepped with food, she was eager to eat. Go figure, an animal influenced to do tricks with the usage of food.

Telling us a bit more about Jenny and her specific breed, we learned that she is in fact, blind to objects up close. Using her beak, she sought out the food in his hand. Soon enough, he asked for volunteers to see who would like to hold her. After a few people, I threw up my hand and found myself in front of a crowd and suited up with a large brown glove on my left hand. With one quick call, Jenny flew from the short wooden stump onto my hand. There I stood, an owl sitting perched on my hand…something I can now officially check off my bucket list.

My mom eventually decided to volunteer after me persuading her to do so, saying, “When are you ever going to get to hold an owl?” Taking my advice, she too, invited Jenny to take a seat on her covered hand. However, by the time my mom held her, she was tiring from all the excitement. Opting to fly back to her cage, we applauded Jenny for her time, as well as the trainer.

Leaving the bird of prey sanctuary, I felt I had a new appreciation for birds. Excited that I had actually held an owl, I felt appreciative of the fact that we stopped at this hidden tourist gem. It is stop offs like these that create some of the greatest memories from a trip such as this one.