Munich: Sept. 6 - 9

Seth had a conference in Munich in early September, so I got to tag along. I had only been in Copenhagen about 3 weeks, so it was fun to already check out a new city. As a side note, Seth's job is going really well so far. He is enjoying the experience and responsibility, and of course kicking butt. 

I thought Munich was a really cool city. A couple things I learned upon my arrival: have Euros with you at all times. Duh! No credit cards would work at the train station machines, which was already a 2 mile walk from the hotel, and then I couldn't find an ATM. (if you plan to spend any long periods of time in Europe, the Visa chip cards are a must.) Once I got that straightened out, it was an easy train ride into the city.

Everyday I took the train into Marienplatz, which is the main shopping/pedestrian area. It is centrally located, so it is easy to walk anywhere from there. Seth had gotten some recommendations from a colleague from Munich, so I had a solid list of places to explore. This was the view when I exited the Metro.

One day I went to Dachau Concentration Camp. I thought it was important to see since I was in Munich. It was about 45 min from the hotel, an additional 25 min past Marienplatz. It was incredibly moving to be in the presence of such a place.

  

The food and beer in Munich were awesome! A couple of highlights: the bratwurst with sauerkraut, pizza at Oh Julia!, the pastries, and of course, the beer!

  

You can't go to Munich without visiting a biergarten. Augustine-Keller is one place the locals like! I also went to the Chinese Tower, which is a biergarten located in the English Garden, a must see on a sunny day. I also checked out the Viktualien Markt, which is basically a big farmer's market with stands that also sell food and beer. It is only a couple blocks from Marienplatz.

  

I wish Seth would have had more time to explore the city with me, but it was a great trip! Next up, my trip to Stockholm. Stay tuned!

My CPH

I have spent a lot of time exploring the city and taking in the sights. This is Rosenborg Castle and Kongens Have, my favorite park. It is conveniently located 2 blocks away from us! The Castle houses the Crown Jewels of Denmark. We spent a lot of time here when the weather was still a bit warmer. The Danes take advantage of being outside when it is nice....and since it is legal to drink alcohol here just about anywhere, it isn't uncommon to see the park go-ers with cases of beer and bottles of wine. We have enjoyed it ourselves! : )

     

This is Torvehallerne, the biggest food market in Copenhagen. It is a 10 minute walk from us, so I am here on most days checking out the booths and picking up produce at the farmer's market. There is something for everyone here! My favorites so far: the duck confit sandwich at Ma Poule, the fish tacos at Fiskerikajen, and any of the bread at Granny's House. 

Here are some other city highlights:

Fountain at Kastellet              The Opera House                Amalienborg Palace

  

             Botanical Gardens                         City Hall                              Soerne (The Lakes)

Our Neighborhood

We are living in Indre By or "downtown" or "Copenhagen K". We couldn't be more centrally located. We are right down the street from a beautiful landmark called Rundetaarn or "Round Tower". A quick history lesson for you buffs: it was commissioned by Christian IV between 1637 and 1642. It is Europe's oldest functioning astronomy observatory. You can walk to the top and see beautiful 360 degree views of the city. It is also attached to a stunning, ornate church.

We live on a charming cobblestone street with 18th century buildings, including ours. The University of Copenhagen has some student housing around us, which can sometimes get noisy at night. Think chanting, singing along to the 90s, and banging on tables. Good thing we just came from business school! The Danes know how to party!

We really love our apartment. It has 2 bedrooms, a large living space, a decent-sized kitchen, and a NYC-sized bathroom. It has a ton of windows and beautiful hardwood floors. Here are some pictures before we received our things from the U.S. It looks much more like a home now!

Our building has a little courtyard as well. Seth and I love the rooftop views in the back!

Long Overdue

Welcome to my new blog! This is my first attempt at this, so be patient as I stumble along here. If you are reading this, then you are interested in following the next year as Seth and I discover Denmark and travel around Europe. We have already had a few adventures in our 2 months here, which I will catch you all up on in my first couple of posts. Then hopefully, the subsequent posts will be more real-time, current happenings. Cheers, and thanks for reading!