One Night in Fussen

While figuring out our trip to Neuschwanstein, we could have easily made it a day trip. This would have meant driving two and a half hours, touring the castle, and then driving two and a half hours home. However, nearby Fussen offered a variety of hotels, restaurants, and shops. Ultimately, we made the choice to stay and take advantage of the opportunity to explore. Staying the night also meant we could go back to Neuschwanstein the next day and hike the surrounding woods.

Hotels have been a real adventure so far, even if you book for two people they will put you in a twin or double size room if you aren't careful. After arriving we rearranged our room plan and ended up in what turned out to be a very nice suite.

Neither of us were familiar with the area, so we dropped our things by the room and wandered around downtown. First on our priority list was to scout out a restaurant. We strolled through the pedestrian friendly streets and looked at menus on our way. While contemplating our decision, we stopped into a gift shop. One item we are interested in purchasing while we're here is a really cool cuckoo clock, and this store had a wall full of them. The Black Forest area is famous for theirs and there are some crazy intricate ones out there. We didn't end up purchasing one that night, but made a mental note so we have a point of reference.

Dinner was at a small restaurant down one of the side streets, so small I asked for a Pinot Grigio and was informed they don't offer such a wide variety. Tom ordered sauerbraten with a beer and I had some sort of spatzle, beef, and vegetable dish with a chardonnay. Apparently chardonnay is more universal... For dessert we grabbed ice cream and explored some more before heading back to the hotel. One store also had gigantic fried dough chunks available in every flavor imaginable. They looked and smelled amazing, but we resisted.

Our hotel did have wifi, but you had to pay which wasn't worth it for the 12 hours we would be there. On the hotel's computer, we attempted to look up some hiking routes for the next morning as we didn't have a reliable map of the area. After half an hour of searching, we weren't any better off than when we started. One thing that did catch our eye was the hotel bar just around the corner.

We were the only ones there when we arrived, which was a welcome change of the overly crowded day. My cosmopolitan came with apple slices, and they were a great snack after I finished my drink. The decor was mountain cabin meets art pop, we loved it. 

The following day of hiking was successful and made the overnight stay absolutely worthwhile.

Hiking in Bavaria

One quintessential tourist must see in Germany is Neuschwanstein, or sometimes known as "The Disney Castle" as Walt Disney clearly borrowed from Neuschwanstein for inspiration. This was our first venture since arriving. We drove and left early Saturday morning. The castle was only two and half hours from us, but we did encounter minor delays with construction. 

The weather was less than ideal when we arrived. There was a patchy fog and a light, but constant, rain. As we approached the castle, we pulled off to take a picture from afar. You cannot drive directly there unless you take a tour bus so we parked in a lot, picked up our tickets for the Neuschwanstein tour, and began the estimated 40 minute trek uphill. 

Forty minutes was clearly a very conservative time frame. There were horses pulling carriages and groups of people walking up, but those diversions aside we still reached the castle in about thirty minutes, arriving around noon.

Our tour wasn't until 1:55 leaving us plenty of time to wander the perimeter. There was still a drizzle of rain so we walked five minutes down the path to a restaurant for lunch. We were fortunate to get the next to last table as I many other visitors had the same idea as us!

Things had greatly cleared up by the time we exited. We took some pictures of the grounds while waiting for our tour.

Pictures were not allowed inside which was a bummer, but there was a balcony to take pictures from afterwards. From here you can see Hohenschwangau (Ludwig II's childhood home) and Lake Alpsee. 

The history of the castle was fascinating. King Ludwig II of Bavaria began building Neuschwanstein in 1869 and it was never completed. Throughout the tour, there were ornately carved wooden structres, such as his bed frame and sink basin, and hand painted walls and ceilings, plus a pretty sweet throne hall. Each room had an immense amount of detail. The king was obsessed with swans, which show up frequently throughout the castle, and the composer Richard Wagner. Ludwig II's bedroom had the tale of Tristan and Isolde along the walls, an interestingly depressing choice for bedroom artwork in my opinion. Ludwig II was found dead under mysterious circumstances in 1886 and while certain aspects of the castle were expanded on, it was never finished in the manner Ludwig II had planned. Essentially, Ludwig seemed to be a bit crazy and obsessive, but his obsession and meticulousness lead to a beautiful, majestic creation we stand to enjoy for years to come. In a time where Chicago was beginning to create skyscrapers, Ludwig II was bringing back palaces.

We stayed overnight in nearby Fussen and returned the next morning to explore Hohenschwangau and hike the Tegelberg trail, one of the numerous paths in the area.

View of Neuschwanstein from Hohenschwangau

Lake Alpsee

The infamous view from Marienbrücke (Marie's Bridge). Ludwig II named the bridge after his mother.

We climbed up to Hohenschwangau, and took a back path to Neuschwanstein and Marienbrücke. Of course, we arrived at the bridge just as a bus full of tourists was pulling up. There's nothing like being suspended hundreds of feet above rocks and water on an overly crowded bridge while you have a fear of heights. We took a few pictures and headed off on our hike.

The path wasn't overly steep as a whole, but there were points when Tom turned around and I was a good distance behind.

Some perspective on how high up we climbed, and this was about half way through.

While the majority of the area was a cleared path through trees, as we approached the top the space became slightly more precarious. At one point as you climbed around a mountains edge, there were ropes to hold on to should you lose footing and go straight down. The view from all sides was breathtaking. Once reaching the end, we ate some snacks we brought with, pistachios, pringles, apples, and water. The trip down was easier, although we encountered a large group of hikers at the narrowest point in the path. I just sort of climbed on the side of a rock and didn't budge until everyone made it around me.

Neuschwanstein is absolutely cliche when it comes to places to visit in Germany. However, I learned a lot about the castle and we got an awesome hike in, too. The views were unlike anything I would have imagined and the crisp, clean air along the trail was refreshing.

The Tale of the Lost Cheddarwurst

Each weekend we try to meet up with friends and coworkers in the area. Some joined us for the Mercedes Museum and we went to lunch afterwards. The delicious tapas place we dined at the previous weekend was an easy choice. Our plans for the rest of the day were up in the air, the Weindorf spanned two weekends and was a back up plan for the day. 

There was a Beerfest going on across the city near Stuttgart Hofbrau, and we decided to take the U-Bahn over to check it out. While this was a small, local event there were people everywhere.

Stuttgart Hofbrau

A free brewery tour going on, so we of course joined in. I learned that malt, water, yeast, and barley were the only ingredients allowed in their beer. Gotta love purity laws. The tour was relatively quick with a lot of climbing up and down stairs through winding halls. You don't want to take a wrong turn in that place, you would get lost for sure.

A couple of couples!

A station outside was taking pictures, printing them on labels, and then wrapping the beer bottles with them. FOR FREE. Brilliant idea. We collected our beers and explored the tents (I got some more vanilla cinnamon almonds), before going back downtown for the Weindorf. It was about dinner time, and we were looking to grab a bite. Tom had a cheddar bratwurst at the Weindorf earlier in the week and he was hell bent on finding it that night. 

By the time we arrived, the city square was overflowing with people and there were seven of us trying to navigate the area together. For two hours, we asked vendors, crept on people's food, and did loops through shops trying to find the cheddarwurst. Around 11, we finally gave up on the cause and ended up devouring a pizza and heading to a local bar.

Not too long after midnight, we got on a train for home. It was jammed with people returning home from the Beerfest! They provided fantastic entertainment for the train ride home. This weekend, we are heading to the ultimate beer festival, Oktoberfest in Munich. I cannot wait to see what transpires!

A Trip Down Mercedesstrasse

Until last year, I had never heard of Stuttgart, much less envisioned myself living there. When I told people where we would be living, no one recognized the name. As it turns out, Stuttgart is the sixth largest city in Germany. There is a lot going on here and the city is known for their automobile industry, also Stuttgart is home to the Mercedes and Porsche museums.

While I am not a car enthusiast in terms of mechanics and knowledge, I do have an appreciation for a beautifully designed luxury car. Enter: the Mercedes Museum.

Tickets were €8 each, except Tom still carries his student ID and was thrilled he could use it to get his ticket for only €4. There were audio guides available so we picked those up before heading to the top floor. 

Various Mercedes models.

An iconic Berlin Wall photo.

I was surprised at the size of the museum and the expansive detail they went into on each floor. Many of them had a main display area and a smaller more specific area to the side. The top floor had their cars from the 1800's and the initial designs, while as you wound your way down the levels their models approached current day. My favorite feature were the wall pictures and information. All along the walls between each display floor was history making information from each time period. This helped to create some context for the vehicles ahead. In such a historically rich place as Germany, there was no shortage of information.

Displays which were extra fascinating were their larger transportation vehicles, like buses, fire trucks, and this super cool double decker. I vote we bring these back to revamp city tours. Another spotlight was on iconic Mercedes vehicles throughout history. Sadly, my phone was frozen and I didn't get any pictures, that's what I get for forgetting my camera. The original Pope-mobile was a main feature. Also included were various models used by the royal family and influential people of the last few decades. 

Now back to some cool cars in the main areas:

Life goal: own a car with futuristic doors, it would really allow you to make an entrance wherever you go.

You've gotta love a sassy red car.

The tickets themselves were really cool souvenirs.

We easily spent our morning wandering and exploring the museum. If you like cars or history, it's absolutely worthwhile and the ten minutes it took us to drive there was easy enough. The Mercedes Benz Arena, where soccer teams play, is nearby. You can overlook the arena from inside the museum and it is a very striking landscape.

A Weindorf Weekend

When I think of drinking festivals in Germany, I think of Oktoberfest. A time for beer, bratwurst, and lederhosen. You can imagine my extreme joy upon realizing our first weekend in Stuttgart coincided with their wine festival, or Weindorf (said like: vine-dorf). I like to call that a bit of divine intervention.

Saturday late morning, we scoped out an actual grocery store and bought meat and produce. Meaning, I was finally able to cook a meal at home!

For lunch I made scrambled eggs with a slightly spicy sausage from the deli, bread, and Kerrygold butter. The meal was super quick to throw together and perfect for a weekend lunch. The bread, eggs, and meat were so fresh and absolutely delicious.

Around six, we jumped on the U-Bahn (the local train system) and went to the Weindorf. We were meeting up with some coworkers and were really starting to feel the pain of not having cell phones yet. We texted them before leaving the apartment about a meeting point, but when the guys were running a little late, I started to get nervous we would miss them entirely. Before too long, they showed up at our meeting spot, the Nespresso store. I was more than happy to wait at such a location. Between the coffee and the large picture of George Clooney hanging in the window, I felt quite at home.

I had only seen the Weindorf during the midday hours of no traffic so the wall to wall crowds of people was quite overwhelming. We ventured into the crowds to get some wine and other goods

I took this opportunity to tell Tom where he could get my Christmas present this year (oh hello, Louis Vuitton!). I don't think he found my statement amusing.

The weather was gorgeous, almost fall-like. There were tents dedicated to just wine, while others had food and large tables to eat at as well. I also managed to find the tent of sweets. They had chocolate covered anything and everything. As well as flavored almonds and other nuts. I got a package of vanilla cinnamon almonds and ate the majority of them before leaving the festival. A few did make it home though!

Tom doesn't like wine, thankfully he found the one beer stand in the entire Weindorf. We walked just outside the festival to find a quieter place to finish our drinks and then headed over to a tapas place the guys had already tried and liked, Besitos. I am of the opinion tapas can be amazing or mediocre. I was initially apprehensive, but hungry enough I would give any recommendation a try. To drink, the guys got beer and I had a Bailey's latte. The dinner was off to a great start. We all ordered a few dishes that appealed to us and passed them around. Some definite winners were the chorizo, cheese potatoes, bacon wrapped dates, and I loved the grilled Mediterranean vegetables. Not too many of them were as enthused. After Tom's love affair with churros in Cabo, we saw churros with chocolate sauce on the dessert menu and had to order a round.

After a successful dinner, we wandered the area to find a bar to grab a drink and relax. We looked into, and promptly left, a couple of questionable places before settling on a chill, pub style place. The beers we ordered were served in swing top bottles, which was awesome and reminded me of the Grolsch's we used to drink in college with the same style of bottle. We took the U-Bahn back home once we finished our drinks. While getting the initial layout of their train system is confusing, it is definitely worthwhile. Getting anywhere downtown from our place is super easy as long as you know which line to take. 

Spending the evening enjoying the Weindorf was such a great experience and nothing helps me feel more welcome into a new environment than some conversation and wine. It is going to be a great few months!

A Local Restaurant Find

Our first few days in Stuttgart were an adventure. We headed downtown first thing Friday morning to set up our bank account, attempt to resolve our phone issues (unsuccessfully), and take visa pictures. Who doesn't love having their picture taken while their recovering from a seven hour time difference?

As we didn't have any food in the apartment, we first went to a coffee shop in the city center to grab some breakfast. According to the locals, the end of August still falls within the vacation period of many Germans and there were significantly less people than usual. Either way, it made for an enjoyable, quiet breakfast of coffee and chocolate croissants at Cafe Chameleon.

Many people in Stuttgart speak at least some English, but the language differences do make ordering food complicated. I wanted a bottle of water but there was confusion over the variety (still, sparkling, medium). Same as ordering drinks and their sizes. Sizes are quite different as well. I ordered a large coffee (gross Kaffee) and what I got was not even a small coffee back home. While I have read the strength of the coffee here is much stronger and therefore served in smaller quantities, I was still expecting and desiring my large coffee. Sure, you can get a beer the size of your face, but the coffee is distributed in significantly smaller doses.

Before leaving Chicago, Tom had the forethought to get some Euro for each of us to bring along. I assumed this was only precautionary as we had an international credit card and we were going to be setting up a local bank account within the first days of arriving. After leaving the bank that Friday morning, I realized just how lucky we were to have that cash on us. We had to wait to get a PIN code in the mail along with our cards (5-7 days). After receiving the code, then money could be transferred from one account to another (2-3 days), add in mix ups and phone calls and we were on our final Euro coins by the time everything finally went through.

I was insistent we find a grocery store after leaving downtown that morning. After driving around for a while, we found a small store where we picked up water, basic food supplies, and body wash for me as I forgot to pack any... We arrived home midday and after unloading, went to sleep for a few hours. Neither of us had the energy or desire to explore too much that evening so I got on Google Maps and found a nearby restaurant. 

The area where we live is very pedestrian friendly. There is a path nearby for walking, running, or biking and you can take it anywhere from the epicenter to the outskirts of the city. I found a restaurant about ten minutes away with a somewhat familiar menu. There were more burgers than bratwurst and we needed a more American meal that evening, after taking a screen shot of the directions to 87 Restaurant Lounge, we walked over.

By the time we got ready and arrived, it was after eight and that early morning croissant was nearly twelve hours ago. We ordered beers and looked over the menu thoroughly, I was ravenous and was taking my meal selection very seriously. For an appetizer, we had a bread and dips platter. Tom's favorite was the feta cheese-chili spread, while I liked the olive oregano, though all three were delightful.

My body was desperately craving something healthy. I ordered the spinach salad and a sweet potato. The elderberry dressing seemed questionable at first, but it turned out to be really flavorful without being over powering.

Tom ordered a classic burger, no surprise there. He claims it was very good but I was never offered a bite, not that I offered him any of my salad either! I finished my meal with an espresso. I love how easy and encouraged it is to get an espresso at any point in time.

The restaurant decor was very industrial meets modern simplicity. This is someplace we plan to take friends and family when they come to visit; walkable, delicious, and relaxed. I am still feeling pretty proud of myself for my awesome dinner selection.

A Grego Abroad: The Arrival

Stuttgart, Germany will be home for us until February. This means a lot of traveling, adventures, and I cannot wait to embrace the insanity that is Christkindle Markets. I've read there is also an entire chocolate festival in December. The options are truly endless.

We flew out of Chicago on August 27th and landed here the 28th. There was a short layover in Newark, but our flight ended up delayed by about an hour with us sitting on board. Nothing like being stuck in a plane for an extra hour when you have an international flight ahead of you! I can't complain too much I suppose, because this did lead to additional movie watching time. Tom is somewhat of a pro at international flights while I am not. When we flew to France last summer, he was peacefully asleep within thirty minutes of take off and I was restless the whole flight. I expected a similar repeat for this trip, but neither of us slept much. I got in a solid thirty minutes while he didn't sleep at all. This was an unfortunate situation as the jet lag and exhaustion set in before too terribly long.

We made it through airport security and successfully retrieved our luggage before heading to the rental car desk. The car pick up point wasn't a terrible walk, but it was a major struggle with our 100+ pounds of luggage and carry ons. We weaved our way down sidewalks, through elevators, and up a half flight of stairs before successfully making it to our Ford Kuga (the European version of a Ford Escape) and piling in. After spending fifteen minutes with the employees setting our GPS to English, we were on our way! 

We arrived at our apartment mid morning with minimal directional difficulty. Street parking can be a bit tight and our road is very narrow, so we did have to do a lap before finding a spot. Before arriving, we were able to see pictures of our apartment. This went a long way in helping us to feel comfortable and relaxed in a new environment. Being told our place was on the third and fourth floor, we were quite surprised when it was actually the fourth and fifth. I've quickly discovered the first floor is actually referred to as the ground floor in Germany, I look forward to all the extra cardio this will bring in the coming months. After a tour from the moving company and hooking up our phones to our wireless, Tom and I headed downtown Stuttgart with our moving coordinator. 

Balcony view one.

Balcony view two. More on this lovely church tower later..

There were some logistical things to begin to worry about, our coordinator was amazing and helped us navigate the large walking area of central Stuttgart. We attempted to set up our phones, which didn't quite work out as our SIM cards were still locked. Awesome. It was a very good thing we had wireless working at home. After some errands, we grabbed a beverage at a great coffee shop downtown. I had an espresso and Tom got a hot chocolate. 

The cleaning company was at the apartment when we came back, so we tried to prolong our adventures for a while longer. We parked by at our place and walked around the neighborhood before settling on a local hotel and restaurant to try. We each ordered a beer, Tom got wiener schnitzel and I had some kind of steak with fried onions and spatzle. As soon as we ordered, Tom almost immediately fell asleep at the table, the jet lag was really hitting us hard. He did wake up to eat and for us to pay and walk home. 

As we dragged ourselves up to our abode on the top floor, we realized the cleaning people were still there. Throwing all decency aside, we passed out on the couch before heading up to bed after they left. Tom carried all of our luggage up that afternoon, but we slept for another few hours before beginning to unpack anything. 

We awoke around 8:30 pm and the local nightly television served as quite the entertainment while we arranged our things that evening. Our place came mostly furnished upon move in, kitchen basics, towels, and sheets. All of which were lifesavers as our shipped items weren't going to be arriving any time soon. We showered and made ourselves some tea before heading up to bed as we had to be downtown again early the next day.

Eat, Drink, and Become A Grego

In the weeks leading up to our wedding, I had a few vacation days to use at work, as I was leaving early August. Naturally, I was greatly looking forward to taking some time to relax and have some low key days to myself. My first vacation day, I had a meeting at the church to discuss the ceremony outline and options with their wedding coordinator.

My wedding planning binder went everywhere with me. In the initial months of the engagement, I didn't use it much outside of having a contained area to throw samples of invitations and ideas for my dress or reception decor. The two months before the wedding, the planning and assembling of the binder was well worth it. My binder included everything from ceremony details, timelines, gifts, notes, vendors, attire, and any other detail that crossed my path. Thankfully, it was the perfect size for my purse, making it easy to always bring my binder along!

Later in the month, my mom and I met with the music director at Queen of All Saints Basilica. We were able to enjoy this gorgeous, unique view of the church while choosing songs for the ceremony. Queen of All Saints is known for their unusually long aisle, making the music selections extra important. Our families were seated to Fireworks Overture Suite, while my bridesmaids and I walked to Canon in D. I always loved Canon in D, and while the organ version of the typical Bridal March was striking and overpowering, it didn't feel right for me.

My final fitting. The designer was Demetrio's. See more about it here. My veil was very light and simple, with a triangular shape at the bottom to mirror the back of my dress. I wore Blue by Bestey Johnson heels in ivory.

I purchased my dress eleven months before the wedding, and actually selected the first dress I tried on (don't worry, I did try on others as well!). While eleven months wasn't a huge amount of time in advance, it could have been a risky move. Many brides are more trendy, or unsure of what they want. For me, I tried on two kinds of dresses: satin A-lines and lace fit-and-flare styles. If you check my Pinterest wedding boards, you will see lace gowns with specific details repeated throughout. I adore button detailing on the back and while I did want a train, I wasn't looking for anything too grand. I wanted the dress to be totally me and totally comfortable.

The two weeks before the wedding were all about preparing for the move and finalizing wedding details. Some things went smoothly: my final meeting with the florist took eight minutes. Some tasks went not so smoothly: seating charts. I'm not going to lie, I was dreading doing the seating for some time. You think you have everyone figured out and then you realize you totally don't. We did have last minute additions and subtractions based on changing family circumstances, but honestly that didn't phase me whatsoever. Once that initial seating chart is in place, it is quite easy to swap things around. 

Although I wasn't working, I woke up by seven and didn't go to bed until after midnight or one. Between our late night of packing, cutting out escort cards, hand trimming programs, and assembling welcome bags, there was always a task keeping me up at night. Two days before the wedding, I finally had everything done. Our venue, The Hilton Orrington, had the cake toppers, escort cards, and card box. The hotel staff had the welcome bags. Our bridal party gifts were assembled. Plus, most importantly, I had my dress and Tom had his tux (which looked perfect). I felt such relief to look around and realize everything was done. There is no greater feeling. 

While I was constantly busy, I never felt stressed. So many people talk about brides becoming Bridezillas and often women seem to think they must have some sort of wedding melt down because they are entitled to do so, it is their day after all! False. Yes, this is your wedding day and when marrying the right person you do only get one in a lifetime. But I never wanted to look back at my planning and have stressful or unhappy memories accompany those times. There were absolutely moments that did not pan out smoothly, but you have your reaction and move on. Weddings are about so much more than trivial matters. 

The day before, I scheduled mani/pedi's at my favorite nail salon for my bridesmaids, the moms, my grandmother, and myself. I ended up choosing a no chip french manicure for my nails, you can't go wrong with a classic! I did a light pink on my toes and all of the girls stayed in the light pink or purple range as well. Some of my girls traveled in for the wedding from California or Indiana, and even the ones in the city I didn't get to see as often as I liked. The nail salon was a nice way for us all to chill together before the weekend really kicked off. After a small lunch and checking into the hotel, we headed to the rehearsal. The walk through was an hour, the standard amount of time, but I could not believe how quickly the hour flew by! Thankfully, I felt as though I did get any questions resolved. 

Our rehearsal dinner was at Monastero's, an Italian restaurant just down the road from Queen of All Saints. Guests were waiting for us to arrive and the waitstaff promptly asked what we would like to drink, always a nice way to begin the evening! After a delicious dinner, my MOH, bridesmaids, family, and I headed to the hotel while Tom stayed at our apartment the night before. While I wasn't nervous, I wasn't able to fall asleep until after midnight and was awoken during the wee morning hours by a lovely, drunken rendition of "Fat Bottomed Girls" being sung in the neighboring hotel room. Turns out, my room that night was next to some of Tom's fraternity brothers. The whole thing was truly hilarious and very fitting, as if my life were really coming full circle: from college fraternity and sorority kids to grown adults getting married.

The big day came. I got up at 5:30 am and didn't have enough time to finish my last cup of coffee before putting on my dress, people got stuck in traffic, there was a torrential downpour with flooding between the ceremony and reception. Did any of that matter? Absolutely not. Everything was perfect and exactly as it should have been. We partied until after midnight, singing, drinking, and dancing for hours. I didn't stop smiling the entire time.

This guy was well worth the wait.

Did you survive that entire post? Awesome. High five.

Our super awesome, now lost, cake toppers.