Wandering Around Munich...

Today was my last day in Munich, before I travel by train up to Leipzig. So since I did touristy things yesterday, I decided to do equally touristy things today with a sprinkling of souvenier shopping (which is granted, still touristy). I also found I was running out of advil for my ankle and therefore decided to make my first stop a pharmacy. Nothing is harder than trying to communicate with a pharmacist that doesn't speak English. (Or conversely, nothing is harder than having a customer that doesn't speak German.) Eventually I spotted a word I recognized, Aspirin. Success!



Then I continued down the road, looking in different shops, trying to find souveneirs to take home that could actually fit in my suitcase. To say the least, I wasn't that successful. But I did eventually end up at Marienplatz, which is the rather large square in a historic district in Munich.



Cukoo Clock

Clock Tower

There was this huge clocktower in one of the buildings surrounding the square and at 11 o'clock, there was a mechanical "cukoo clock" that showed a German jouster against a French jouster. When the German jouster won, a loud cheer went through the crowd and a mechanical dance party started up in the clock tower!

From here, I went to get a bite of lunch before winding my way through the cobbled streets of Munich in search of an arch erected in celebration of the defeat of Napoleon. (Apparently no one told the Germans that they were actually Napolean's allies.....) Upon going through the arch, you enter a very leafy, pretty park. This Gazebo was found within the park. I wish I could have gotten closer, but they were having some kind of photoshoot in it, so I couldn't.

And finally, I ended my thuorough walking tour of Munich, walking by this fountain:

Poseiden Statue

  I had seen it from my tour bus coming back from the Castles, and decided I needed a picture of it! Upon taking this photo, I made my way back to my hostel to collect my belongings and set off to the train station where I would board the train and 6 hours later, arrive in Leipzig... ugg.

Tomorrow I'll be off to Berlin with Katie!

Cheers! KM

The Bavarian Countryside and a King that had FAR Too Much Money....

I arrived at the meeting point for my tour of Linderhof Hunting Lodge and Neuschwanstein Castle, to find about 4 buses loading people.  After being ushered towards the English Language Bus, we load up and start our tour with our quirky German Guide.  If there is a definition of dry humor, Fred, our guide, is listed somewhere after.
Our tour started off with a tour of Linderhof Hunting Lodge.  It is said to be modeled after Versailles, and it isn't hard to see why.  Apparently King Ludwig II used 3-4 kg of Gold to cover practically everything you can possibly put gold on.  There is also a beautiful room of mirrors, that is said to be King Ludwig's favorite room.

Linderhof Hunting Lodge

As if it wasn't weird enough yesterday that I sat with a bunch of people from Texas, I come to find out that there is a group of high schoolers on my tour of Bavarian Castles, that are all from the town over from me!! WHAT?!?!? Apparently the entire state of Texas has decided to travel to Germany, specifically Bavaria. This was further proved when, while at Linderhoff, I exchanged picture taking duties with a trio of women from Arlington, TX.

  It should also be noted, that apparently everybody I meet has at least been to Texas. When I say I'm from Texas, I usually get in response, "Ohh! I've been to Texas, not to Austin, but ....(fill in town name)....!" Long story short, I ended up spending an afternoon with 16-18 year olds. Ohh, the good times, when I still was chaparoned by my Mother (aka last year).

After leaving Linderhof, we went through the cute town of Oberammergau.  Every 10 years this town puts on the Passion of the Christ, to fulfill a promise made centuries ago that delievered the town from plague.  But just in case you don't go to Oberammergau in a Passion of the Christ year (next one is 2020 fyi)  there are the painted houses to see and oodles of cute shops waiting for tourists to snap up their trinkets.

Painted house in Oberammargau.

If you ever get the chance to climb up to Neuschwanstein, don't forget to stop and sample the Bavarian Snowballs! They're delicious concoction of a warm cream cheese batter donut sprinkled in powdered sugar. Guarenteed Artery clogger!! Also at Linderhoff, don't leave without a chocolate croissant from the gift shop. Actually, don't leave anywhere without a chocolate croissant. They are pretty delish in general. It's a good thing I'm walking so much.....

But after walking the 30 minute hike up to Neuschwanstein, and you finally get to enter the castle, its like you stepped into a fairytale! (cue the Disney-esque music)  The decor is decadent, although thankfully there is less gilded stuff here than in Linderhof. (sigh of relief)  But having said that, King Ludwig did have a cave on the 3rd floor. (why was this necessary?) 

Neuschwanstein

Look at  that view!!!!

View out the window!!

After finishing our tour of Neuschwanstein, we headed back to Munich!  After a few more quirky comments from Fred, we lapsed into mostly silence for the rest of the trip.  And before we knew it, we were back in Munich and free to find a most needed dinner.

Tomorrow a bit of sightseeing in Munich before I catch a train to Leipzig!

Cheers!
KM

Journeying to Germany!

Step 1 to traveling to Germany: Get out of bed.  For some reason, I found this to be rather difficult this morning.  Maybe because, I  knew that deep in my heart, I didn't really want to leave Ireland. (Although, I wouldn't have minded leaving Dublin to go back to Ennis. I LOVED Ennis.)  Or, it was that I didn't know about traveling to a country where I can't so much as remember how to say Hello or Goodbye.  But somehow, I made it.  I braved the city bus, where the bus driver looked at me like I was an idiot, as I struggled to get my luggage on to the bus.  I made it through Dublin Airport, and its nonsensical way of checking in to your flight, and I even survived the brawl that was queing up to board the plane, only to land and go through Customs without the Germans even asking me so much as my name.  And then I met another city bus driver that looked at me like I was an idiot as I tried to ask him how much in english, and him answering me in German, and neither of us really understanding each other.  This all ended with me getting on a train to Munich and then finally arriving at Munich Hbf.  Luckily, my hostel is right next to the train station, because I'm not sure I could have managed much more.  I had dinner in a beergarten where they serve the beer in LITERs!  And I sat next to two other familys from Texas! Small world, or is Texas really that large?  One of them had even lived in the town I'm from!!! 

Tomorrow, on to the castles of  southern Germany!!
Cheers!
KM

Dublin Part 2!



The 5 million Euro Spire, Dublin

My day started off with a bang, as I passed by the Spire in the middle of Dublin on my way to the Hop On/Hop Off tourbus I would be taking through the city.  This spire isn't dedicated to anyone or there for any specific purpose, so many Dubliners say it is the biggest waste of 5 million Euros they could think of.



Trinity College, Dublin

he first stop of the tour was Trinity College, the home of the Book of Kells!  While the ticket to see it is a bit pricey, the Book of Kells is beautiful!  The work involved in creating all of those pages makes it all the more breath-taking.  You also get to take a tour of the part of the Trinity College Library that houses all of their antique books, which was probably the coolest part of the tour, for me atleast.



Kilmainham Gaol main cellblock

Isn't this depressing looking?  But one good thing, there is a sky light in this cellblock.  This is much better than the original cellblock.  That was dark and dank, but was knocked down by the Victorians when they remodeled the Gaol.  The Victorians believed that letting the light in, would make the prisoners yearn for freedom and therefore would make them better members of society. 

A doorway in Kilmainham Gaol


The door states,

"Beware of the Risen People, That have harried and held, Ye who have bullied and Bribed."

If that isn't the best worded threat, I don't know what would be.

Brave woman who was jailed after fighting for Irish Independance

This woman was engaged to one of the men to be executed as one of the leaders of the 1916 rebellion.  She and her fiance were allowed to be wed in the Chapel in Kilmainham Gaol and were allowed 10 minutes together as their wedding night.  He was executed the next morning.  She later went on to follow in her husbands steps and earned herself a place in the Gaol herself during the next and much more successful rebelllion.

The rest of the tour went around Phoenix Park which is home to the Mansion of the Irish President and is the largest Park in Europe!  Apparently it could hold two Central Parks within it!

The Ghostbus Tour bus

I ended my eventful day with the Dublin Ghostbus Tour.  It was entertaining and full of really interesting ghost storys, but I'm still not quite sure if it was worth the 28 Euros....  You did get to go to visit two pretty interesting historical churches though.
Tomorrow I'll be traveling from Ireland to Germany!  Bavaria, here I come!!

Cheers!
KM

Kilkenny and Kilkenny Castle

Hello All!
I arrived in Kilkenny still disappointed over the cancellation of the Where's Wally street festival. :(  After finding my hostel for the night, I went off in search of food.  One thing about Ireland on Sunday: Nothing is open....  I eventually found a small restaurant and got some sustenance.

Sign in the Middle of Kilkenny

 Next morning, I went in search of adventure.  I had until my train left at 5:30 to see everything there is to see.  And luckily enough, Kilkenny is small, so that is actually possible.

I started by making my way to the castle, stopping at Subway for a sandwich that I would eat later in the park behind the castle.  Kilkenny Castle, isn't really a ruin or like Blarney Castle.  It is still pretty old by American Standards, but it had been updated over the years, and could really be called a palace more than a "castle".

Kilkenny Castle

After thoroughly going through the castle tour and stopping by the castle tea room for a bit of Tea and a scone, I hopped on this adorable train for a tour of the city.  I was probably the youngest person on this train by about 50 years, but as my ankle was still aching, I wasn't about to walk the entire city by myself. 

Adorable train!!

The spot that I most wanted to go back to after my train ride, was St. Canices Cathedral and since it was right next to my hostel, I went ahead and make the walk across Kilkenny, and I was glad I did!  St. Canices Cathedral is a beautiful little cathedral full of history!  Many of the floor and wall markers throughout the entire cathedral date to before 1600, and the oldest dated back to the 1200s!
 

St. Canices Cathedral

I climbed that tower, and let me tell you, if you can get up the courage to climb about 10 wooden ladders and 1 rather perilous stone staircase, the views are worth it!!  You can see for miles! But word of warning: It's not for people afraid of heights.  The only thing between you and falling to the ground, is a spindly looking railing around the top. 

Floor Marker

The entire Cathedral was covered in floor markers, wall markers, and table tombs.  But I thought that this particular floor marker, was pretty cool.  You can't really read anything on it, except for maybe one of the words is Butler....

Next entry will cover my trip in Dublin Part 2!
Cheers!
KM

Blarney Castle!!

So I arrived in Cork in the afternoon.  So a bit late to do any sight seeing, but with plenty of time to do what I do best, SHOP!  Now, I didn't buy anything, but I am on the lookout for a Claddagh Ring. 

Blarney Castle

After a lovely nights sleep, I slept in a bit and then set off for Blarney Castle!  All I can say, is that at first glance, Blarney Castle is breathtaking.  You arrive on the grounds to see this imposing castle set on a rock face.  You are greated first by what used to be a guard house with a built in kennel, which, I assume, housed a guard dog.  Walking around the castle, you climb some steps up to the castle proper.  After stepping in the castle, you realize that there haven't really been any "improvements" since the castle was originally built.  Everything looks authentic, with the exception of the various signs that proclaim the old use of the whatever room you are in.  To reach the blarney stone at the top of the Castle, you have to climb this tiny winding stone spiral staircase.  This wouldn't normally be a problem, but some of the steps seemed like they had been worn down considerably and sometimes you weren't quite sure that your foot would actually fit on the step, and the only railing was a thick rope running up the center of the staircase.  It doesn't really instill a feeling of safety in you.  Once you get to the top, you don't really feel any safer, once you see how you have to kiss the Blarney Stone.  I don't really know anybody that would actually enjoy hanging upside down off the side of a castle, but let me tell you, it isn't really pleasant.  The lovely Irish man that holds you as you lean off the castle keeps telling you to lean back, until it doesn't feel like you are actually resting on the castle.  And there was more than one tourist in front of me that expressed fright upon returning to their upright state.  But let me tell you, any anxiety you feel about kissing the stone before you actually lay down and try pales in comparison to the anxiety you feel when you are actually upside down face to face with the Blarney Stone.  But with that milestone reached, you nearly fly down the next spiral staircase, because there is practically nothing that seems quite as dangerous as what you just did.  So, once out of the castle, there are acres of gardens and trails to explore, and all of them are beautiful!!

Me on top of Blarney Castle

Me Kissing the Blarney Stone!

Here are some pictures of me at Blarney Castle.

Mandrakes

Wormwood

My favorite garden, the poisonous plant garden, held such gems as these plants seen in Harry Potter:

Belladona

This garden also proves that not even The Blarney Castle is immune from seizures by the Garda:

As a note: the notice on the bottom says that Blarney Castle is sorry for the lack of Marijuana in the garden, but the Garda has seized it, until their licensing issue could be cleared up....

And then finally, no castle is complete without a cave for secret escapes running underneath it.

Awesome Cave

Apparently Cork was hosting the street performers world championship in one of their parks!  In addition to that, I was talking to two girls from Yorkshire who were staying in my hostel, and they were saying that there was also going to be an attempt to break the World Record for the number of Wallys (Waldos from Wheres Waldo? to Americans) in one place.  But it was cancelled for rain!!! :(  This was really upsetting, because I really wanted to buy the costume that they were selling in the park!  You got a shirt, a hat and a pair of black round glasses for 12 Euros!!! Best souvenier ever! But alas, it was not to be.

Well that is it for my adventures in Cork and Blarney! Next on the list is Kilkenny and Kilkenny Castle!

Cheers!
KM

The Cliffs of Moher!!

So I got up early this morning to catch a bus to the Cliffs of Moher.  If you've never heard of it, google it. Seriously.  They are beautiful!!!  Walking up to the cliff's edge definitely makes you wonder why you haven't ever heard of this place before!   

Apparently a part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 was filmed here. I have no idea with scene, but if I had to guess maybe its where they set Shell Cottage? 

I mean really guys.  We are at a place called the CLIFFs of Moher.  Obviously, there would have to actually be cliffs.  And generally cliffs are dangerous because of their edges.....

I quite like this sign.  You can see by how many stickers are on it, that no one really payed attention to it.....

And Neither did I.....

If you went past the sign, you could hike up this trail that brought you pretty close to the edge of the cliffs and made for some pretty awesome pictures without those pesky safety walls getting in the way.  That spot in the left-most part of the picture down at the bottom, yes, that is the cliff edge.  Thats how awesome I am. :)

Till tomorrow and my journey continues in Cork!

Cheers!

KM