In Love In Paris

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In typical Alex fashion, I had no concrete idea of what I wanted to do when I graduated college. After a fairly tumultuous experience at Northwestern, I had accepted that I was not going to pursue acting and singing as a career, but I still did not know what I wanted to do. When I transferred back home to UNL, I felt so lost and ashamed that I was stepping away (for excellent reasons) from what had always been my ultimate dream. With the help of my mom and incredible friends, I began the (long) process of figuring out who I was. While I enjoyed the remainder of my college experience at UNL immensely, I was no closer to knowing what I wanted to do with my life at the end of it. Enter my Aunt Preeta, who encouraged me to sit in the uncertainty and to try to find some clarity about what I wanted and what felt right to me. She gifted me a month-long trip to Europe through Contiki, a travel group for young individuals (18-35 I believe), and I took off on my own ready and grateful to explore the world. While I cannot say that the trip gave me full clarity on the correct path, each stop illuminated pieces of myself along the way. And my first stop was Paris.

Contiki - European Spirit (2013)

I think out of personal rebellion and in response to everyone loving Paris, I did not have high expectations. I went in thinking it would be overrated and not for me (I’m big on Italy, what could France possibly offer, right?). But of course, I was so wrong. Upon landing, I went and explored the Louvre by myself and walked down the Champs-Élysées, gorging myself on macaroons and coffee. I felt so incredibly independent and in my element. It is the “city of love,” but I fell in love with the city itself. And as I explored Paris with all of my new friends, I secretly and desperately hoped that one day I would be able to return with my person, with a love that would help me understand the true beauty of the city. Unbeknownst to me at the time, I would return, almost exactly eight years later to the day with my brand new husband, during a global pandemic on what would turn out to be a “weekend Honeymoon.”

(Sorry not sorry for the quick wedding highlights pics and incredible wedding video below)

After we returned from our wedding in the US for a month, I had a feeling that we had a small window where we may be able to squeeze in a few weekend trips (testing for COVID before and after) before the EU began cracking down on restrictions again (and HAHA I was super right - lockdown extended to May 9, 2021 as of now from when it began in November 2020). So I knew I needed to prioritize what we would do as it could be a long time before we were able to travel again, and two cities that I was insistent to do with Matt were Paris and Venice. My mom graciously used points and got us an AMAZING hotel in the heart of Paris for two nights and we took the 7-hour train ride from Munich to Paris, which left at 5:40 AM and arrived in Paris at 1:00 PM. As we made our way to our hotel, we noticed that everybody was wearing a mask, and we quickly learned that it was required to wear your mask everywhere, even outdoors, in Paris. So while we were constantly aware that we were in a pandemic, we were also keenly aware of how lucky we were to travel again and happily wore our masks everywhere (except when taking pictures, of course). 

Once we settled in, I had arranged for us to do a walking tour of Montmartre at our own pace, which is an incredible neighborhood that was the creative Mecca for artists and authors, housing both places of debauchery (Moulin Rouge) and incredible places of worship (Sacré-Coeur). I made Matthew watch Amélie with me the day before we went, a wonderful and bizarre French movie that takes place in Montmartre, so we thought it was the perfect place to start our weekend in Paris. We began at Place Pigalle and walked around the Butte du Montmartre (the hill of the martyrs), learning about how this area transitioned from being a bucolic setting outside of Paris to “the most radical artistic neighborhood in the world” (the Rick Steves Audio Tour was super informative and allowed us to explore at our own pace - highly recommend downloading the app and seeing if there’s a walking tour provided for where you are vacationing next!). We saw the Folies Pigalle, which was once a café frequented by Van Gogh, Matisse, and Degas but eventually became a gentlemen’s club of sorts for the Nazis in the 1940s. Today, Montmartre is fairly sordid and hosts many “darker pleasures” shops, but the creativity that thrived here still makes it uniquely inspiring and fascinating. Walking along, we saw so many iconic French places, like “Le Chat Noir” (translated as “The Black Cat), a niche entertainment hall for eccentric artists, and of course, Le Moulin Rouge (translated as “The Red Mill”), the world famous cabaret. It was bizarre, to say the least, to see the area fairly empty and abandoned when it was teeming with people and excitement when I was here last. 

A typical Paris afternoon - the lighting and colors are stunning

Le Sacré-Coeur

After marveling at Le Moulin Rouge, we took a short break for caffeine and a snack (you can never eat too much in Paris) at a random Asian café (spring rolls and Diet Coke, yes please). We could see the Café des Deux Moulins from where we ate, which is the café Amélie worked at in the movie. We continued walking up Rue Lepic where we saw the site of Van Gogh’s sojourn in Paris - one of the few happier times in his life and where he began experimenting with the use of vibrant colors. As we kept walking further up the hills, we could see stunning views of Paris from Le Moulin de la Galette, which is the only original windmill remaining in Montmartre today and explored little parks within the city, including the park on Rue Girardon with the statue of Saint Denis, the first Bishop of Paris who was beheaded by the Romans in the 3rd century (the name “hill of martyrs” may be based on this, but also may have been a reference to Pagan times). As we took in our surroundings, we learned about the dramatic tales of Parisian artists in the area, filled with tumultuous romances, attempted and only sometimes successful suicides, and incredible amounts of ego - the history of the individual artists feeds into the narrative of Montmartre so well and gives the whole place a distinct mysterious quality that is captivating and so utterly Paris all at once. Finally, after walking by La Maison Rose (the brothel turned cafe where Van Gogh contracted syphilis) and Le Jardin Sauvage (the wild vineyards whose failure in the late 19th century led to increased consumption of absinthe and the rumor of the “green fairy”), we made it to the magnificent Le Sacré-Coeur, which is an absolutely gorgeous cathedral itself, but also hosts the most magnificent views of Paris from its elevated spot. 

Though we did briefly go inside Le Sacré-Coeur, we spent more time gazing out at Paris, watching groups of people drink beer and champagne on the lawn and listen to quintessential Parisian music filter through the breeze. Le Sacré-Coeur itself was built in response to the “moral corruption” of the Franco-Prussian War and was not finished until WWI, so it is relatively new. It does have statues of King Louis IX, the French king who introduced the right to a fair trial and the end of judicial torture essentially, and Joan of Arc, who rallied the French against the English and was subsequently burned as a witch. After this relaxing yet informative tour, we walked down the many steps and around the carousel and all the little shops. Eventually, we were starving, but saw no restaurants serving anyone (and it was 7 PM, 1.5 hours later than our usual dinner time). We finally found a little French bistro and were the first people they served for dinner for the evening. In terms of French cuisine, the place was only “okay,” but it did not matter - drinking champagne, gorging on bread and French cheese, and sitting outside in Paris with my husband made it special and an incredible end of a very long day. Because we had an amazing hotel with a great view of the Eiffel Tower, we fell asleep watching the Eiffel Tower’s light show from our room. 

A common sighting in Paris - I swear I saw this exact same scene and set of people last time I was here in 2013

Our second day started with a sampling of French pastries, fresh orange juice, QUICHE (if you know me, that’s all that needs to be said), a cheesy omelette, and rich coffee - honestly, I didn’t know how the rest of the day could possibly top that breakfast. I’m emotional just thinking about it. But begrudgingly, I’ll move on. With our limited time, we never had any intentions of going into the Louvre (though I desperately want to), but I wanted to at least show Matt the outside area with the glass pyramids and the water fountain. So we started our day by taking the metro to the Louvre and were stunned by how there was probably only 30 other people in the entire area in total. We also noticed that most of the metro stops on the way to the Louvre were curiously closed on our journey, which was apparently due to preparation for the Tour de France in the next week. But because of this, what was supposed to be a quick 20 minute walk to the Arc de Triomphe ended up taking over an hour with all of the detours and unexpected road and bridge closings. Still, it was a wonderful hour, where we passed through the “mini Arc” (Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel) to the Tuileries gardens. More importantly, we stopped by the Angelina Paris, the legendary tea house and patisserie where Audrey Hepburn frequently went for its hot chocolate, and bought some chocolates and macaroons.

We continued walking along the river Seine on an absolutely perfect fall day. At one point, we had our IDs checked by French police (which was..strange and alarming at first), but we continued on our journey, getting pleasantly lost multiple times. We eventually made it to one of the many bridges where couples put a lock on the sides to symbolize their “eternal love,” and as cheesy as that sounds, I wanted to do it so badly on my first trip to Paris (I even made a stranger pretend he was attaching a lock with me the first time). While there were no lock salesmen this time around due to Covid, Matt did agree to take a picture with me on the bridge and honestly my heart exploded with so much love for him in that moment that felt very full circle. When we finally arrived at the Champs-Élysées, it was practically deserted and most of the shops were not open. Matt definitely did not get the full shopping in Paris experience, but at the very least, we got more macaroons at Ladurée, the French luxury bakery (super bougie). We had intended to go to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, but it was randomly closed (even though we were still days away from the Tour de France), so we were only able to see the outside of it. It is absolutely breathtaking though and so much grander in person than expected, but that makes sense as it was originally intended for Napoleon but subsequently rebranded to instead honor the French military in general and important battles.

Even though it felt like we had just arrived, we needed to rush back to the Tuileries gardens to meet our walking tour outside the Musée de l’Orangerie (another museum I’m desperate to go into once I have more than 48 hours available in Paris). We grabbed some paninis along the Seine and made it to the tour on time, mainly because we were the only ones signed up for the tour. And for the record, while most people would be thrilled at the prospect of having a private tour, we do not like it and for some reason, it keeps happening to us. You have to be engaging the entire time and ask/answer all questions - Matt and I prefer to be petty in the back, participating when we choose to, so private tours are not our thing. But anyways, the tour started at the Place de la Concorde, which contains the Luxor Obelisk (a diplomatic gift from Egypt), and was the site of many revolutionary activities and beheadings via guillotine, including King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. After this (dark) start, we got a peek into the ultra luxurious side of Paris and made our way to Vendome plaza, which is where the Ritz is located as well as many jewelry stores and high-end designers. We ended the tour at the Opéra Garnier, which is the most beautiful and iconic opera house in the world (fight me on this) and the setting for my favorite musical of all time, The Phantom of the Opera. Unfortunately, my husband refused to sing it with me, even though I said that it’s “all I ask of you” (musical nerds will understand this). But even he marveled at its immense beauty. I truly hope I can see an opera there one day (major bucket list item).

At this point, we were pretty exhausted, but we still had our cruise of the river Seine. We were able to peacefully take in the beauty of Paris for an hour, passing by the Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, Musée d’Orsay, and of course, the Eiffel Tower, among many others. Matt did research beforehand and made us reservations at a French restaurant, so we eagerly made our way through Parc du Champ de Mars (where people sit to enjoy the Eiffel Tower) afterwards to Le Septieme Vin. The three-course meal we had was so insanely good that it’s difficult to put in words. We both decided to start with traditional Parisian appetizers - I had escargot (yum) and Matt had foie gras (no merci, never again for me), but we were very pleased with our choices. For the main dishes, Matt and I decided on the Jambonnette de pintade au Chorizo (guinea fowl and chorizo) and the Parmentier de canard forestier (minced duck, mashed potatoes, and mushrooms) and they were both incredible. I felt like we were in that scene in “What about Bob?,” where Bill Murray is just sitting at the table repeatedly saying “mmm, MMM, mmm” - that was definitely us. We finished it off with Mi-cuit au chocolat, or molten chocolate cake with figs. I was basically the antithesis of “hangry” and very in love with Matt for finding this gem. We ended our evening by going back to the Parc du Champ Mars, where we watched the lights of the Eiffel Tower in person. 

The Eiffel Tower at night

Matt in front of Notre-Dame Cathedral

Our last morning in Paris was spent at the Eiffel Tower. I arranged for a mini-photo shoot (shocker) at 8 AM because I have always dreamed of having romantic pictures with my husband at the Eiffel Tower and I just will NOT apologize for being extra. As a wedding gift, Matt agreed (much to his chagrin), but we ended up having a great time. Parisians do not like early mornings, so we had the Trocadéro to ourselves at sunrise. Our photographer was fantastic and super funny, taking us along for so many beautiful views of the Eiffel Tower and letting us soak in the beautiful yellow/sepia-like lighting of a morning in Paris. Matt was very sick of having his picture taken after the wedding, but I know we will both cherish these incredible pictures for the rest of our lives. We were supposed to go on a walking tour after this, but it randomly was canceled, which we didn’t find out until we arrived there. So we had another giant Parisian breakfast and walked along the Seine on our own, stopping at the construction at Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Tour Saint-Jacques (Saint James’ Tower). We walked through the Jardin des plantes, the main botanical garden in France, and had another street side lunch with more casual French food. 

When we checked out of the hotel, we waited at the train station to head back to Munich in the afternoon. Before we got on, we were subject to temperature checks (which at the time, was new and strange for us). When I booked the tickets, Matt insisted that I reserve seats for an extra cost, so I did, but laughed hysterically when we were the ONLY PEOPLE on the train for the first four hours. Amazing. What wasn’t amazing was having a 2 hour delay on the train, which resulted in us arriving home at 3 AM completely exhausted. At least we had a large portion of our train ticket reimbursed as a result, which happens so rarely, but it was a strange ending to a wonderful weekend. Visiting Paris is always interesting because it is so unlike any other place in the world, but it brought me so much joy to be able to experience it with Matthew. This first year of marriage has been difficult as we’ve been in lockdown for all of it thus far minus two months, but I continue to live off the beautiful memories we made in Paris and cannot imagine a more perfect way to start our lives together as woman and husband.

Until next time,

Alexandra (finally made that K official in MBK)

Blogislava, Bratislava

The last time I have written about traveling was all the way back in May, and that was about our trip to Milan that we took on Valentine’s Day (Matt’s birthday). We wanted to update everyone on our experience with COVID-19, but after that blog, I felt mentally exhausted at the prospect of maintaining writing and keeping up with everything. In my head, I knew that I only had one more blog to catch up on, but between pandemic wedding planning and trying to still be productive at work, I skipped out on writing about Bratislava, which we went to at the beginning of March. BUT, now that we are somewhat traveling again and now that I have been dabbling with inspiration for a new possible section of the blog, I figured it was more than time to fill you in on how surprisingly fantastic Bratislava was and how different it was from what we anticipated.

Before we get in to the itinerary details, I must be honest and tell you that my only prior impression of Bratislava was from the cinematic masterpiece, “Eurotrip.” While most parts of that movie are extremely accurate (like the ease with which they entered the Pope’s chambers in the Vatican), they portrayed Bratislava as a very poor, Eastern European country, where a quarter can buy you the nicest hotel suite with a five-star dinner. Bratislava, Slovakia is by no means the most expensive place we’ve been (OSLO), but it was very reasonably priced, modern yet filled with a rich history, and a great place to spend a weekend. It was also the first place we traveled to long distance (~5 hours) by train! Planes are obviously the fastest mode of transportation between countries, but by the time you get to the airport, go through security, wait, have layovers, etc., I would MUCH rather be on 1-2 trains and get straight there. For Matt, he loved having the ability to get up and walk around on the train while also simultaneously enjoying the incredible views of the Austrian countryside. With how much we loved traveling by train, and how much safer it is relatively speaking (COVID-wise), we are now trying to only take trains as much as possible when we travel.

We left for Bratislava on Saturday morning with our detailed itinerary all planned out. We arrived at noon and made our way to our hotel, the Hotel Danubia Gate, which was super reasonably priced, a five minute walk to Old Town, and provided an impressive free breakfast (this matters a lot to Matt haha). When we checked in and freshened up, we walked to Old Town, and grabbed a quick lunch while waiting for the first of our free walking tours to start. The tour was entitled the “20th Century Tour,” as it covered the stories and experiences of the Slovak people during WWII and the subsequent communist era (when it was still part of Czechoslovakia). The Slovak role in WWII is quite interesting as it was a member of the Axis powers and a client state of Nazi Germany. The alignment with the Nazis was strongly motivated by the desire to become autonomous from Czecho-Slovakia (the hyphenated name here is the correct form in this period), with the alternative decision leading to even further division of Slovak lands between Hungary, Poland, and the rest of Czecho-Slovakia. The territorial losses that occurred were largely blamed on the Jews, which led to the passing of the Jewish Code, one of the strictest anti-Jewish laws in Europe. As we made our first stop on the tour to Heydukova Street Synagogue, the only remaining synagogue in Bratislava, we were struck by the negotiations made between Slovakia and Nazi Germany. The Slovak government arranged for the mass deportation of Jews to Poland - they arranged for the transportation and paid Nazi Germany for the “resettlement” of each Jew. Ultimately, ~69,000 of the original 89,000 Jews in the country were murdered in the Holocaust with fervent antisemitism persisting throughout the subsequent Communist era. Now, the synagogue that remains is still a place of worship and a national monument.

Michal’s Gate in Old Town (Click image below for more pics of Old Town)

Heydukova Street Synagogue - the only synagogue in Bratislava

Next, we headed to Liberty (or Freedom) Square, which currently houses the Slovak government and has a massive fountain of a linden flower. Unfortunately, the fountain has not worked since 2007 with no evident plans for its restoration. We then walked to the Slovak Radio Building, which is shaped like an upside down pyramid. Though its structure is defended by architects, it has been included as one of the 30 ugliest buildings in the world, which infuriates the locals. Matt did not think it was too bad, but I thought it was an eye-sore all things considered haha.

(Click the image below for a close up version of the linden flower)

Finally, we made our way to the Slavin War Memorial, which had a stunning view of Bratislava. The cemetery and monument memorializes the Soviet troops who were killed during the liberation of Bratislava at the end of WWII. The six mass graves hold the remains of ~7000 Soviet soldiers. The memorial itself was really a beautiful area at the top of a hill. It was very serene and quiet, but you could see the Bratislava Castle, the UFO tower, and other prominent structures within Bratislava from up there as well. It was out of the way, but I am really happy the tour made a point to take us there. As we were approaching evening time, we finished the tour near Old Town at the memorial created for Ján Kuciak, a Slovakian investigative journalist who was murdered with his wife in 2018 for exposing top Slovakian politicians for tax fraud (a lot of Mafia/mobster vibes going on with these politicians). The murders shocked Slovakians as Kuciak was the first journalist murdered since their independence, propagating a massive desire within the people to change the political party and inciting protests throughout the country. Coincidentally, we were in Bratislava on the day of elections and the tension was palpable. Locals were on edge about which parties would have however many seats in Parliament. The results of the election showed a defeat of the current Smer-SD party and the rise of the OLaNO party, which is short for “ordinary people and independent personalities,” and whose platform was based on “anti-corruption” in politics. I do not want to insert my opinion here on the results, but I do recommend reading up for yourselves on Slovakian politics  if you’re interested - it is fascinating and you may notice some parallels. 

Click image below for more pics of the War Memorial

Click image below for more pics of the stunning views from the top of the memorial

The memorial made for Ján Kuciak which led to a massive political shift within Bratislava

After the tour, we ate some traditional Slovakian food, consisting of cauldron goulash, dumplings with bryndza sheep cheese, pirogi with sheep cheese, and dumplings with cabbage and bacon. It was all quite good, but there was a LOT of lactose haha. Before heading back to our hotel, we walked by the Blue Church, which also was the first place we went to the next morning as it was so unique. The church has a definite Disney vibe and has so many different architectural blends featured. The inside was adorned with blue and gold as well and it was definitely a fairytale church.

The Blue Church (Click image below for more pics of the interior and exterior of the church)

Our traditional Slovakian feast

Following our second visit to the Blue Church, we went to our second free walking tour, the “City and Castle Tour.” This tour was generally more informative on the current lives of people in Bratislava and what the city itself now has to offer. We started in the Main Square in Old Town and were told about the plethora of statues that are all over the streets. My favorite statue is the “Man at Work,” which is a communist era worker sticking his head out of a manhole. According to rumor, he’s there so he can look up women’s skirts, which seems to be confirmed by his creepy smile. There are also more serious statues depicting the life of famous Slavic poets and even Hans Christian Andersen. These statues are in the same square with the beautiful National Opera building.

“Man at Work” (Click image below for more pics of statues and the National Opera Building)

We then walked to St. Martin’s Cathedral, a 15th century Gothic cathedral along the city walls. It is on the way to Bratislava Castle, but most importantly, was a coronation church for the Kingdom of Hungary. As we walked along the walls to Bratislava Castle, we saw a plaque dedicated to the Jewish man who invented Krav Maga in Bratislava, which was really nice because there is not a lot of good news where Jewish people are concerned in Bratislava. The hike up to the Castle was rather long, but the view from the top was gorgeous. We could see St. Martin’s (obviously), the UFO tower, and interestingly enough, two other capital cities of two other countries. Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, is extremely close to Vienna (the capital of Austria), and Budapest (the capital of Hungary). When you get to the top of the castle, you can look to your left and see the windmills of Austria while on your right you see Hungary!

Click image below for pictures of St. Martin’s Cathedral and surrounding area

The plaque for the inventor of Krav Maga

On the way up to the castle - behind me, you can see UFO Tower (aptly named)

Quick picture with St. Martin’s Cathedral in the background (Click image below for more pics of the views on our way up to the castle)

Bratislava Castle (Click image below for more pics of the castle)

As the tour ended after the church, we decided to grab a quick lunch and try to figure out public transportation to get to Devin Castle. This was definitely the highlight of the trip for Matthew and me. Sitting at the edge of Slovakia and a stones throw from Austria, the castle is a ruin on top of a 700-ft cliff. It was blown up by Napoleon in the 19th century as it controlled the trade route on the Danube and was a valuable location, but it is one of the oldest castles in Slovakia (dating back to 5th century BCE) and sits at the confluence of the Danube and Morava rivers. It took about an hour to get out there on public transportation, but it was definitely worth it. It had a Lord of the Rings/New Zealand vibe and Matt and I were in awe of the incredible beauty.

(Click image below for pics of the walk up to the ruins of Devin Castle)

(Click image below for more pics of the ruins themselves)

(Click image below for more pics of the rivers as the sun was setting)

All things considered, Bratislava really shocked us. We had an inaccurate impression of the country (thanks Eurotrip), but the rich history and proximity to other important capitals has made it a very interesting city to visit. There were more than enough sites to see in a weekend and we had a really nice time. Bratislava may not be on your top 10 cities to see in Europe, but if you’re in Vienna or Budapest, you should definitely swing by and enjoy the spectacular views of the region, the Blue Church, and definitely Devin Castle. 

Until next time,

Alexandra

Milan, Coronavirus, and Quarantine

To be completely transparent, I have dreaded writing this blog and have basically stopped writing altogether in this quarantine period. I am an extrovert who loves interacting with people and hugging everyone, but I am also highly anxious, which means I truly value my “me time” and require it in order to recharge. This period, however, has been a rollercoaster for me and I feel mentally and emotionally drained. While I am very fortunate to still be working from home, I have no separation of my work life and home life, which makes me feel like I’m never actually “off” or relaxing. I’ll have days where I’m extraordinarily productive, and then there are long periods where I can’t do anything but read, binge watch something inane, and go on long walks with Matt to feel somewhat okay. It is also really difficult being seven hours ahead of everyone, making zoom calls really difficult to schedule and just generally eliminating quality and meaningful conversations with all those we miss at home unless it’s on a weekend. This is really hard. I can’t imagine not having Matthew with me and he has been my personal salvation through all of this. Unlike me, he doesn’t suffer from insomnia or lack motivation. He still prepares incredible meals, works out (from home) every day, and goes to sleep and wakes up at reasonable hours. He’s also very steady and understands when I have days that are good or bad. But again, this is very hard. We were fully embracing our lives here and traveling and exploring constantly, but as we are now in our eighth week of quarantine, it is hard to imagine life ever going back to that blissful period, even though Germany is technically supposed to reopen in a few days. But lately, I have felt like writing and documenting this transformative period. I want to honor it for what it is, remember this strangely sacred period of our lives, and reflect on our journey with the Coronavirus.

Our journey begins with a spontaneous birthday weekend I planned for Matthew in Milan, Italy over Valentine’s Day weekend. We took a 7 hour bus ride on a Friday and returned via the same way on Sunday, marveling at the incredible beauty of Switzerland and the Alps the entire way. To me, it seems like colors are more vibrant in Switzerland and like every other place in the world is just slightly dimmed in comparison - even on gloomy days, the colors are vibrant and everything is so pastoral and picturesque. Needless to say, the bus rides went shockingly quick both times. We arrived late to Milan on Friday evening, checked into our incredible AirBnB, and were excited for a relaxed weekend. While we usually rigorously plan our weekend trips to really maximize our excursions, we decided to just relax and experience the Italian culture in Milan. We wanted to eat well, drink coffee and cocktails, do some shopping right before fashion week, and walk around at leisure. I have already mentioned above how grateful I am for Matthew, but even before this quarantine, I wanted him to feel how loved and appreciated he is with this weekend. Obviously, we had NO idea that Milan was about to be ravaged by Coronavirus and I’m pretty sure we were there at the last time possible tourists were allowed in and out with no precautions taken or any hint of medical issues.

On Saturday morning, we decided to do a quick, free walking tour to get a feel for the city. We headed to the Piazza del Duomo, where we got our first breathtaking view of the stunning Duomo and the fashion Mecca, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. We walked around the area a bit before the tour, admiring all of the high fashion boutiques and shops. I got a phenomenal Italian cappuccino and croissant and forced Matt to allow me to have “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” making me feel very much like Audrey Hepburn. We proceeded to go on our tour, which showed us the Duomo area (but not the Duomo itself, leaving us to go inside the next morning), the basilica of San Nazaro in Brolo, and the Milan Cathedral. We also saw the Policlinico of Milan, which is one of the oldest hospitals in Italy and a marvel at its time due to its emphasis on modern practices and procedures.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Duomo

(Click image below for more pics of the Duomo’s Exterior and the Piazza del Duomo)

Duomo’s interior - we acutally went inside on the following morning and were lucky enough to sit in on mass

(Click image below for more pics of our Sunday excursion going inside the Duomo)

Basilica di San Nazaro (Click the image below for more pics of various cathedrals seen on the walking tour as well as the famous hospital)

We then walked back to the Galleria area and saw the famous opera house and a very interesting modern sculpture by Maurizio Cattelan, which is hilariously right in front of the Palazzo Mezzanotte, the Italian stock exchange building. Generally, as we went through the tour, we noticed that people in Milan are so beautiful and fashionable, which is no surprise. Fashion week was supposed to be the week after we were there, so of course Matt and I decided we needed to do some shopping ourselves :). After a quick shopping spree and a pizza lunch, we walked through Milan’s shops and modern areas to the Sforza Castle, which is a huge fortification built in the 14th century. We didn’t do a tour here, but the building is now home to art collections and museums. Even though it was only about 3:30 PM at this time, we decided to “do as the Italians do” and enjoy aperitivo. We sat in a busy square, ordered some delicious drinks (including limoncello), and had some olives and light snacks. We people watched for a few hours and it was so relaxing and funny - there are definitely some interesting sights and people in a city like Milan haha. 

(Click image below for the remaining pics from the Walking Tour, including the crazy statue)

Matt at the Sforza Castle

(Click image below for more pics of Sforza Castle)

At this point, Matt wanted to walk around the Duomo area again and find our way to a different part of town. We ended up walking along the river, which was incredibly busy with cute little restaurants, bars, and a TON of people. We decided to grab another meal, because apparently all we do on relaxing vacations is eat, and were so pleasantly surprised by our find. We picked a place that looked incredibly busy, but most of the people there were in large groups, so they said they could squeeze the two of us in as long as we could eat within 2.5 hours. Matt and I are certainly slow eaters, but there’s no way it would take us 2.5 hours to eat dinner together haha! It turned out that our place specialized in charcuterie, and we ended up having some truly divine Italian cheeses, prosciutto, fruit, bread, and I could go on and on and on but basically it was heaven. Matt and I just kind of sat there speechless, gorging ourselves, and savoring every single bite of one of the most delicious and beautiful meals we had ever eaten. It was an absolutely perfect weekend in Milan, and according to Matt, one of his favorite birthdays :).

When we returned, obviously everything seemed as if it was normal. I was going to work, going to the gym, planning trips, and reading as always. But within the week, we found out that Milan was hit by the Coronavirus. This was all happening at a very strange time, as two others in my office had recently gone or were going to Florence and Rome, so none of us took it super seriously but were very strict about staying home in case we felt sick or developed symptoms. Matt and I were completely healthy for the two week infection period and subsequently decided to take another quick weekend trip at the end of February/beginning of March (blog coming later), but there was still no general sense of urgency about the virus in other parts of Europe. Indeed, Matt’s parents were coming to visit during the second week of March, and while I am SO glad they came and we got to see them, they had to cut their trip short because the situation with the virus escalated so quickly. We were planning on going to some castles the next day, but over night received calls from the US that Trump had ordered all US citizens to return from abroad. Even though the situation was clarified a few hours later, Matt’s parents frantically looked for tickets and returned home, where they were then quarantined for two weeks before being able to return to work.

Luckily, we have all been healthy so far, but Matt and I have been quarantined since this time. The day the Kerns left Europe, I went into work for the last time, and luckily grabbed everything I needed “just in case.” Within the next few days, we were trying to determine whether we needed to return to states, what to do with Matt’s visa which would soon expire, and how I could continue my PhD. I really can’t explain how stressful the entire situation was - this is a completely unprecedented time, and it will not be clear whether we made the correct decisions for awhile, but I am very glad that we decided to stay here and stay together. We got everything sorted out, and as I said above, I have been working from home, watching “Breaking Bad” for the first time, and reading loads of books (if anyone needs recommendations, I am VERY confident on the many that I have). Matt and I have been going on long walks through parks (while socially distancing as well), celebrating holidays alone, and eating gourmet food courtesy of Matt every evening. Though this all has been depressing and very hard to be away from our families, there are a few things for which I am so truly grateful: 

1. The kittens are living their best lives - they absolutely love quarantine. Having mom and dad home all the time has been the greatest gift. Their hobbies include sleeping on top of us as often as possible, walking through Zoom meetings I have for work, and learning how to play catch with twisty-ties on bread bags. I’m so glad we brought them here as they are an endless source of love.

Working out from home has been…difficult

Naps are a family affair in our apartment

(Click image below for a LOT of cat pics from Quarantine)

2. I still have a job and a steady income. I know that I’m in the minority here, and even though I lack the mental capacity to work as much as I’d like to, it also keeps me focused and gives me purpose, which I am eternally grateful for.

3. BOOKS. I love books. That is all.

4. My health - despite a lot of migraines from sitting much more and working on the couch, which really messes with my neck and gives me awful headaches, we are still being as active as we can. We work out at home and go on long walks almost every day. I hit a 25 lb weight loss goal at the beginning of quarantine and have maintained it, though it feels like that’s due to me losing muscle mass from not being able to go to the gym and lift. Still, I’m proud of my health and my body and it’s been a big deal for me.

5. My mom. This period has been extremely difficult for her with regards to me being super far away and her not knowing what to do. She has been very supportive of us and me finishing my PhD. She has put my needs over her sense of security and showers me with love with 20-30 phone calls a day. I love you, mom.

6. Matthew. As I read all this back, I realize that in a weird way, this is all a love letter to Matt. He has been my rock through this period. He has taken care of me every single day in one way or another and is a true teammate. We still don’t know if we can have our dream wedding in August, but more importantly, I’ve learned that we will have our dream marriage. (Click images below for more pics of our Easter dinner, some of the other amazing meals Matt has made, and picturesque views from our many walks around Munich)

Hopefully, life returns to normal at some point, but certainly not before we can maximize public safety and health. I’m so happy that we are in Germany, whose political leadership through this has been inspiring. We feel very safe here and are lucky to be in a country who prioritizes life itself AND quality of life (people are still getting paid ~60% of their salaries here, even when business is completely shut down). It’s interesting to read how everything is going in the US, and while so much of us wishes we were at home with family, and in Matt’s case at home golfing, we still love it here and we still love being together (well, I do - you may want to ask Matt at a later date lol).

Until next time,

Alexandra 

A Spin in Lisbon

When we told our friends and family that we were moving to Munich and looking for travel recommendations nearby, so many people recommended that we make a trip to Lisbon. I had personally never been to Portugal but have always been a HUGE fan of Portuguese cooking, so I was really looking forward to eating some incredible seafood. In my head, I assumed that Lisbon would feel very similar to Spain, but I was so wrong. Lisbon is a city entrenched in a rich, albeit dark, history that is infused with vibrant colors, kind people, truly delicious food, and even inspiration for the greatest book series of all time (if you know me at all, you automatically know I’m talking about Harry Potter). Both Matt and I agreed quickly that our quick spin in Lisbon was unforgettable and we highly recommend it to fellow travelers. 

Per usual, Matt and I flew in late on Friday night, checked in to our AirBnB, and started our adventure early Saturday morning. After scouring through all of the different tours possible in Lisbon and the surrounding areas, we decided that it would be best to do a walking tour in the morning and explore different districts within the city on our own. We would have loved to explore the surrounding cities and towns, but unfortunately we left on Sunday morning and decided instead to maximize our time within Lisbon itself. The walking tour we chose, however, was fantastic. Because February is not a busy time of the year for tourists, we were the only ones on our walking tour, which allowed me to discuss history and culture at length with our brilliant tour guide. Because of Portugal’s extremely close proximity to Africa, much of its history is greatly influenced by both European colonization/expansionist desires and Africa’s fight for independence - indeed, Portugal played a lead role in the Atlantic Slave Trade, which was responsible for the mass transport of African slaves to America. The tour we selected focused more on religious developments within Portugal, but in my head I kept being like, “so are we just going to ignore the slavery part of the history or what?” But I’m sure other tours would have focused more on that. What I’m trying to say here is that while Portugal is stunning and rich in history, it is important to remember its dark past as well.

But back to the tour. Before we arrived at the meeting place for our tour, we decided to grab a quick breakfast at a cafe nearby. We ordered a couple pastries and an omelet that we were going to scarf down quickly, but both Matt and I were so shocked and overwhelmed by how delicious the omelette was - seriously, you’re not supposed to notice how ridiculously tasty an omelet is, but we savored each bite. I’ll mention more food later, but every single thing we ate in Lisbon was so delicious, with the most ordinary of food transformed into something extraordinary. After we finished our heavenly breakfast, we met our guide Andriy at the Jardim Afonso de Albuquerque. Afonso de Albuquereque was predominantly known for being the Duke of Goa, as he conquered Goa, India and established Portugal as a dominant force within the spice trade. Across the street, we could also see the presidential palace as well, otherwise known as the “Belém Palace.” From here, we began walking towards Jerónimos Monastery, but before we arrived, Andriy took us to the most famous pastry shop in all of Lisbon, the Pastéis de Belém. More than 100 years old, the bakery uses the same recipe the monks created for pastries at the monastery, resulting in delectable pastels that Matt and I devoured. Lisbon is known for its incredible pastries and we were lucky enough to skip the line for the most famous of them.

(Click image above for more pics of the start of the tour)

After the pastries, we went to the Jerónimos Monastery, which was built to mark the Age of Exploration in Portugal. Built on the site of the former chapel where Vasco de Gama prayed before sailing to India, the area consists of a chapel, cloisters, and tombs. A cloister is essentially an open or closed gallery within a monastery, and this one opened up into a courtyard and was two stories. Adorned with round arches and imagery depicting the religious significance of the monastery as well as the nautical importance of Portuguese culture, Matt and I spent a long time walking around the entire area and marveling at all of the little pieces of art hidden everywhere. It was beautiful and very peaceful. We also learned about the inspiration behind by the name, St. Jerome. St Jerome was a doctor and theologian of the Catholic Church born in the 4th century. He was reputed to have removed a thorn from a lion’s paw, so in most artwork depicting him, he has a lion with him and books…I kid you not, my life dream is to be St. Jerome: surrounded bt cats and books. After the cloisters, we walked into the chapel, or the Church of Santa Maria, which is completely held up by six massive columns and was eerily beautiful. 

The Cloisters

St. Jerome himself - the man, the myth, the legend

(Click image above for more pictures of the stunning Monastery)

We then walked through Lisbon and along the harbor until we arrived at the Torre de Belém, which looked like it came straight out of “The Count of Monte Cristo.” Before we arrived though, our tour guide told us about the 25 de April Bridge, originally called the Salazar Bridge, which is a large suspension bridge that looks very similar to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. It was here that we learned about all of the Harry Potter references inspired from Portugal - J.K. Rowling moved to Porto, Portugal when she was writing the series, and there are many instances that she drew from whilst living there. From cafes and bookshops inspiring classic shops in Diagon Alley, to students wearing the robes that exactly mirror those worn at Hogwarts, to the houses drawn from her experiences there (Gryffindor from the Fonte dos Leões and Salazar Slytherin based off the Portuguese dictator Salazar), it is pretty clear that the Portuguese aesthetic heavily influenced the greatest series of all time. Naturally, I was very excited, but I digress. The Torre de Belém itself is a tower that was built as a sort of lighthouse and served as the point of embarkation and disembarkation for explorers in the 16th century. Originally, it was built in the middle of the Tagus River, but it is now near the shore because the river shifted after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. We did not go inside, but we marveled at its beauty and walked around the shore.

(Click image above for more pictures of the Torre de Bélem and the walk along the harbor)

After the Torre de Belém, we walked to the Padrão dos Descobrimentos, which is a massive monument celebrating famous Portuguese explorers and visionaries. At the front of the monument is Henry the Navigator, who was responsible for initiating the Portuguese “Age of Discovery” with 33 other important figures on each side. Within the square, there was also a giant map of the world which showed the true expansion of the Portuguese empire. It is all extremely impressive and unfathomable to grasp how far they traveled, but again, it is important to remember that there were many negative consequences of the travel (e.g., slave trade). Our tour ended here, which was a bummer because our tour guide was extremely impressive and knowledgeable, but we decided to grab a quick lunch afterwards. I was craving seafood, and luckily we found this incredible little restaurant and ate the most delicious and authentic seafood gumbo-like dishes of our lives. Portuguese cuisine is seriously amazing.

(Click image above for more pictures of the Padrão dos Descobrimentos and lunch)

After lunch, we decided to explore the Alfama district on our own. We walked around the Sé de Lisboa, which is the oldest and most culturally important church in the city, before making our way up to the Castelo de São Jorge. Even though you can only grasp the structure of the Castelo now, the true beauty lied in the views of Lisbon from the top. We spent a few hours exploring the grounds, but mostly we were enraptured by how stunning the city of Lisbon was and how much it resembled San Francisco. 

Sé de Lisboa

The famous Tram 28

Views from the top of the Castelo de São Jorge

(Click image above for more insane views of Lisbon and the Castelo)

At this point, we were starting to get pretty tired from the long day, but we decided to just walk through all of the different districts of Lisbon, including Rossio Square, the Alfama District, and Barrio Alto. The culture is very vibrant in Lisbon - there were always locals out and about, shopping in the markets and creating art. For some reason, there is also a HUGE effort to sell drugs there. I cannot tell you how many times Matthew was stopped and asked if he wanted a variety of drugs - like what? I was never stopped, so obviously they’re sexist, but the drugs they offered just kept escalating. This was in the middle of Rossio Square and tourist areas so it was pretty bizarre. But still, we managed to resist all of the offers (not so hard) and make our way to the Mercado da Ribeira, which is a huge indoor market. We ate some more delicious fish, walked around and experienced the crowded night-life scene, shopped, and decided to return to the AirBnB. Our day was absolutely exhausting, but exhilarating. Even though our trip was short, we really feel like we experienced Lisbon, and definitely highly recommend everyone to visit at some point in their lives.

(Click image above for more pictures of the various districts of Lisbon)

(Click image below for more pictures of random sights around Lisbon)

Until next time,

Alexandra

Bavarian Rhapsody

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?

But sometimes, it honestly feels like we’re living a dream. Matt and I were both pretty certain that we would end up in Lincoln - we loved the size and easy access to whatever we needed, the tight community, being near our families, and the list goes on and on. While we still want to return to the good life, we definitely did not expect to love living in a big city as much as we do. We’ve tried countless new restaurants, explored new areas of Munich, and have taken full advantage of the Bayern ticket, a ticket that lets us travel all over Bavaria and into Austria for super cheap. This blog is dedicated to these areas - it’s surreal living in a place that reminds us so much of Nebraska but has the added benefit of the Alps. Some of our favorite day trips and activities have been to Olympiapark, Tegernsee (Germany), Zillertal (Austria), and Regensburg (Germany). The other wonderful places we’ve explored within Bavaria are mentioned in the Christkindl Markets blog!

Olympiapark

From my office, I have a view of the Alps on really clear days, which is absolutely breathtaking, and of Olympiapark, where our lab is actually located. Olympiapark München was constructed because it was needed for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. It includes the Olympic area, with all of the sports facilities, the Olympic Village, and the park. It’s about a 15 minute walk to get to the lab from my office, but I get to walk through the park every time so there are no complaints here. The park is so serene and somehow perfectly embodies whatever time of the year it is - I’ve seen it when it is deeply green and teeming with life and as it transitioned into an autumnal wonderland with all of the reds, yellows, and greens intermingled. I’ve also seen it when it gets colder, and it’s eerily foggy in the early mornings but by the walk back in the afternoon, everything looks tinged blue in a layer of frost. It is one of my favorite spots in all of Munich, and I cannot wait for the summer when we get to have a picnic on the big hill, drinking some wine, eating some dinner, and listening to all of the AMAZING concerts that will be playing in the stadium (Lionel Richie, Sting, Melissa Etheridge, Bonnie Tyler, etc.). Because of the close proximity to my work, I had been to the park several times, but Matt had not seen it yet. So on one warm October day, he came to my office and we decided to walk around the park. I know everyone in Lincoln said that they skipped fall this year, where you went straight from a hot summer to winter basically overnight. Here in Munich, it was the opposite - we had the longest fall ever, with the leaves not fully coming off the trees until January. So with all the luck, we went to the park on one of the most gorgeous days and hiked up this massive hill for spectacular views of Munich. It was a wonderful day :)

(Click image above for more pics of Olympiapark)

Tegernsee, Germany

On another warm October weekend, Matt and I decided we wanted to go hiking, but we obviously didn’t want anything extremely difficult. My advisor recommended Tegernsee, which is about 1 hour away on the Bayern ticket, with a train heading there and back every hour or so. We left around 11 AM, got breakfast pastries (nussschnecken as they are called here), and laughed at how at least 90% of people are constantly drinking beer on trains. We decided we needed to get a can of Lowenbrau and join in on the experience on our way there :) When we arrived there, our mouths dropped. Tegernsee both refers to the town and the lake that it is on, embedded within the Southern Bavarian alps. The higher we climbed, the more of the mountains and lake we could see, and it was so stunning. We kept pinching ourselves and marveling at how beautiful this area was - note, this area was recommended for us just for it’s good hiking, but NOTHING was said of its beauty. The hike was really refreshing and we had absolutely perfect weather. We ate our packed lunches and soaked in the sights as much as we could. We definitely want to return here for a weekend one day.

(Click image above for more pics of beautiful Tegernsee)

Zillertal, Austria

Zillertal is an incredible place for skiing in Austria and it is about a 2 hour drive away from Munich (depending on how fast you drive on the Autobahn). Matt made it very clear he wanted to go skiing while we were here, ensuring that our ski gear was packed up and brought back from Nebraska over Christmas. With luck, my friend Marius from work was going skiing one weekend with his friend Pia, who is much cooler than he is :). Pia’s family has a ski lodge in Austria and there was extra space in the cabin, so they invited us to join. Everything was a blast, except for the skiing. When asked about my skiing, I said I was “okay,” thinking I absolutely was by AMERICAN standards. Europeans take skiing to a whole different level - I was having panic attacks on what they call their “easiest slopes.” All I know is that Matt, Marius, and Pia are freaks, going way too fast down the mountain, and having too much control. Never again. Next time I ski, it is drinking, eating, and hot tubbing thank you very much. But in all seriousness, skiing here felt SO different than skiing in Colorado. For one, there were so many mountains and slopes, so even though there were an insane amount of people there, it never felt busy. There is also seriously amazing food on the slopes. Pia and Marius took us to the restaurants that had the best food and the most stunning views of the Alps. They also always made us try their “classic” desserts, which were super delicious. So aside from the skiing, it was an incredible weekend and so much fun. It is so nice to really make friends here and we can’t wait for the next weekend trip with them both :) However, I will never go clubbing again on a Wednesday with you two 🙄

(Click pic below for more images of our skiing group and the amazing lodge we stayed in!)

(Click image above for more pics of Day 1 on the slopes)

(Click image below for more pics of Day 2 on the slopes)

Regensburg, Germany

Finally, a few weeks ago, we made a day trip to Regensburg on the Bayern ticket with Brian and Chaise, two people I’ve worked with in Nebraska and Munich. The Bayern ticket costs 25 euros for one person, but for each additional person up to 5, it’s only 7 additional euros. So when Matt and I travel, our full day tickets cost 32 euros. When it was the four of us, it was 53 euros total, which was obviously very cheap for four people. Regensburg is 1:30 hours away and is a super cute medieval town located on the Danube, Naab, and Regen rivers. We spent a few hours walking through Old town and stumbling upon the oldest Catholic place of worship in Bavaria (built around 1000 AD), which was extremely ornate and called the Basilica of the Nativity of Our Lady. We also saw the famous Dom (Cathedral), an incredible gothic Bavarian structure, crossed the stone bridge (a medieval bridge used during the Crusades), and walked along the river. It was not a super long day, but it was a really nice, quaint town and a great way to introduce Brian to Munich :)

Basilica of the Nativity of Our Lady

Dom

(Click image above for more pics of the Basilica and Dom)

(Click image below for more pics of Old Town and Stone Bridge)

After these spontaneous and serendipitous experiences, it is safe to say that we will continue to find adventures from random day trips in and around Munich. We miss home all the time and still love Nebraska the most, but we would not trade this experience for the world.

Love,

Alexandra

Marrakesh me if you can

Marrakesh, Morocco. A city of insanely good food, eclectic and vibrant markets, kittens aplenty (seriously, they are everywhere), and argan oil. A place where you can be in the heart of a crowded central market, to lush green rock landscapes, to snowy mountains, and to deserts within a few hours. When discussing our ultimate “dream places to visit” list, Morocco has always been at the top of our list, but I could not believe how fully I fell in love with the country and how much I already want to return. For me, even above Prague crazily enough, Marrakesh has now officially been declared my favorite weekend getaway, and it was a close second for Matthew (who still likes Rome the most). This was also our FIRST time in Africa, so now we’ve both been to 4 continents, officially somehow exceeding the number of continents my mother has been on now :). 

Getting to Marrakesh on the hilariously cheap flights I booked, however, was certainly a trek in and of itself and not surprising at all when you try to book the cheapest flights possible. Usually we travel from Friday to Sunday when we go away, but this time we left super early on Saturday with our returning flight scheduled at 2:00 AM in the morning on Monday. On Saturday morning, we left our apartment at 3:10 AM to make the 3:30 AM train (which takes an hour) to the airport for our flight at 6:15 AM. We had a slightly tight connection, but if everything ran smoothly, we would have been completely fine. But of course it didn’t. Our morning flight to Lisbon got delayed by an hour, completely eliminating our layover time. To make matters worse, we had to take an absurdly long shuttle to get to the Lisbon airport where we then had to wait in a 1 hour+ line to get through customs before we could board our second flight. Luckily, they knew our flight was boarding and we got to run to the front. We BARELY made our second flight and it made for a very stressful morning on very little sleep. Still, we finally arrived in Marrakesh and made our way to the insane hotel that my mom offered to us with her points (thank you mom - this place was NUTS).

(Click image above for more pics of the beautiful hotel)

After checking out the hotel for a bit, we headed to start our afternoon tour of the Medina (the city markets or souks) at Jemaa el-Fnaa, which is one of the most famous and popular squares in all of Africa. Described as a place where the colorful Moroccan traditions blend with present-day, the square itself is extremely diverse and social, where monkeys, snake charmers, escargot stands (more on that later), magicians, henna artists, etc. assemble. While it is certainly spectacular in many ways, it was also a bit disheartening to see the animals forced to perform for the sake of the tourist, but the practices have been so entrenched within the culture (i.e., snake charming), that they will likely never cease completely. It is also extremely busy with dozens of people urgently trying to sell you something everywhere you go, but there are also stunning handicrafts and artists who make it very magical as the sun sets. We were only here briefly to meet our tour guide though, who informed us that not only are we the only ones on the tour (hyello private tour), but that he was also our food guide for later that night. We got so so lucky that 1) tours in Morocco, and most things generally, are so inexpensive that we were able to do 3 tours while we there and 2) that we had the most amazing tour guide, who especially impressed us with the food tour. 

(Click image above for more pics)

We started the tour with a quick lunch. Our guide Mohamed took us to one of his favorite local spots where we enjoyed Kefta, which is ground beef and lamb that is seasoned, grilled, and skewered, along with a soft, leavened bread and Matbucha, or essentially Moroccan salsa (soo heavenly). On the way to lunch, we saw probably 40 kittens. While Istanbul had cats everywhere, Marrakesh is the land of KITTENS. I will say, however, the cats and kittens in Marrakesh are very small naturally and look much rougher than the cats of Istanbul. When we ate our Kefta, we were joined by a cat in the window, who literally just stared at us the entire time we ate and who I’m sure ate any remaining morsels. Please enjoy this not at all surprising collage of all the cat pictures I took while in Marrakesh (cue Sarah McLachlan’s “I Will Remember You”).

(Click image above for 14 glorious pictures of kittens and cats)

After lunch, we walked around the hidden alleys of the Medina, learning about the importance of red sandstone in the city (leading to its nickname, the “Red City”) and the general spirit of social welfare, where people randomly settle each other’s debts and neighbors take care of each other as much as they can. We also learned about the beloved Moroccan king and his family and saw a shrine of sorts dedicated to them. After this, we went inside two different Riads, which are massive, traditional Moroccan houses with an interior courtyard. They were absolutely stunning, and while previously used as extended family dwellings, they have recently been updated into boutique hotels.

(Click image above for more pics of hidden alleys of the Medina)

(Click image below for more pics of the incredible Riads)

We then went to all sorts of different shops within the souk, including shops with rugs, spices, argan oil, shoes, and random goods. Matthew even splurged on a beautiful pair of custom leather shoes and I bought a blouse, art, and argan oil. At each of these places, we were allowed to go on the rooftops and enjoy Mint tea - we loved the tea so much that we brought some home with us. Rooftops in Morocco are a very popular hang out, and most businesses are very narrow, but have multiple stories with decks at each and every opportunity that provide gorgeous views of the markets and the city itself. 

(Click image above for more pics of the souks)

After we were finally shopped out, and STARVING, we started the food tour with cinnamon coffee for me and orange ginger juice for Matthew (which was so heavy on the ginger and SO GOOD - it reminded me so much of the fresh OJ my Nani used to make when were kids with Indian spices). Mohamed asked us how adventurous we were with food, and we said pretty adventurous (though we drew the line at eating a lamb’s head..yikes). We stopped at this tiny stand and he says, “Okay this is spleen. Try it. It’s packed in patties and loaded with spices.” The spleen was either chicken or lamb (we have no clue), but OH MAN, it was so good. This was a huge surprise obviously, but the way it was prepared was super delicious and we were so glad we dove right into the experience. After the spleen, we went to an escargot stand and ate way too many snails soaked in this really deep, rich broth. I have had escargot before in France, where it was heavily buttered and soaked in delicious garlic, but this was definitely not either of our favorites. Still, the experience was very authentic and we sat with a lot of locals and our bowls, and we had no regrets.

Spleen! Yum

Escargot - less tasty

Before going to Morocco, we had watched David Chang's show on Netflix (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner) where he goes to Marrakesh with Chrissy Tiegen and experiences all the amazing delicacies. We knew we wanted to see a lamb get cooked underground after watching this show and luckily, we got to see how deep the holes are and how they make sure it achieves the perfect temperature, which was super interesting. We then ate a few different lamb dishes at one of the best spots Morocco has to offer - the chef here has inspired and demonstrated dishes to famous chefs, like Gordon Ramsay, because he was once the private chef for the King of Morocco. The place was by no means fancy at all, and we never would have guessed it by its unassuming outwardly appearance, but it was the best meal I’ve had in my life. We started off with bread, olive tampenade, and the chili sauce, and then progressed to tanjia, which is named after the urn-like pot it is cooked in and is lamb cooked in a variety of spices, herbs, preserved fruits, and ghee. We then ate the lamb dish that is prepared underground, called Méchoui. Of course we ended our meal with tea, ginger juice, and an absurd amount of Moroccan pastries. This tour was seriously a dream and I could not recommend it more - it also only cost $20 a person for ALL of that - we didn’t pay for any food separately! Afterwards, we enjoyed the stunning African sunset and went to the hotel and prepared for a long day ahead on Sunday.     

I take all of the photos when we travel, except for the ones I’m in obviously. I wasn’t tall enough to get this shot, so I asked Matt to do it, and he randomly reaches up, takes this shot, and hands the camera back to me without thinking anything of it. Of course it was the best picture of the trip and I’m honestly still super bitter about it.

(Click image above for more pics of food and cooking techniques)

On Sunday, we had an all-day tour arranged to see the Atlas Mountains and ride a camel in the Desert Agafay. Before leaving, we got to eat the most massive, incredible buffet breakfast - I feel like we ate at least 1500 calories just for breakfast, but it was so worth it (again, thanks mom for the awesome hotel). After we were picked up by the tour operator, we drove to the Atlas Mountains, making a few stops for scenic views and pictures along the way. Like I said before, it felt like we saw every terrain possible on this day. We saw rivers surrounded by rich green landscapes and mountains with waterfalls and snow at the Atlas Mountains. On our way up, we stopped at an Argan Oil Woman’s Co-Op and learned how the community gathers together to produce argan oil for consumption and for beauty products. We then got to the bottom of the mountains and walked up a good portion of it until we saw a small (anti-climactic) waterfall. But still, the surrounding nature was breathtaking and it was so interesting to see villages built on the mountain side and off cliffs. We then ate lunch and had chicken tajin (not the same dish as before, but again named for the pot it is cooked in) and lentil soup. Again, the food in Morocco is insanely delicious and without a doubt, this is the best food collectively I have experienced while traveling thus far!

(Click image above for more pics of the drive to the Atlas Mountains (and our breakfast)

(Click image above for more pics of the Women’s Argan Oil Co-Op)

(Click image above for more pics of the beautiful Atlas Mountains)

We then made our way to Desert Agafay and the camel ride. It took about an hour to get there, but the views were spectacular. From mountains, we entered into stunning desert landscapes interspersed with very lush savannahs. I kept thinking of when the light shines down on Simba at the beginning of “The Lion King,” because honestly the sun was doing that everywhere and it just felt like Africa is a little closer to heaven. As for the camel ride, I definitely LOVED it, but Matt said that 20 minutes was more than enough for him because he thought it was painful 😂 We still both loved it and bonded with our camels - we also loved getting dressed up for our desert ride :) Several people commented on how authentic we looked (even Matt), and I’m not kidding even a little bit. 

(Click image above for more pics of the Camel ride!)

(Click image below for more pics of the beautiful Moroccan views)

Finally, after a long day, we headed back to the hotel where we again had a delicious dinner at a random restaurant nearby. At this point, it was 8 PM, but we weren’t leaving for the airport until 11 PM for our 2 AM flight. We ultimately just sat in the hotel lobby for three hours, trying to steal any few minutes of sleep we could, and made our way to the airport. We again waited forever in the coldest airport I’ve ever experienced (like, why?), and finally took yet another shuttle to our plane. We landed in Madrid and had a two hour layover, the third shuttle ride of the trip, and boarded our plane to Munich at 5 AM. When we finally landed, we got our luggage and took the train home…well Matt did, I went straight to work. It was a brutally long and tiring weekend, but we felt so invigorated and lucky at the same time to get to have this life changing experience. Marrakesh is definitely a 10/10 - would recommend.

Until next time,

Alexandra

Christkindl Markets + Lincoln

Christmas has always been one of my absolute favorite times of the year. Unlike the grinch (aka Matthew), I could listen to Christmas music all day, watch ALL of the Christmas movies (including the garbage Netflix puts out - I’m talking about you Royal Wedding series!), and bake all of the holiday treats possible. Christmas 2019 will always be one of my favorite Christmases though for two reasons: 1) Christmas in Europe is next level - there are markets everywhere!; and 2) I got to share it and meet my sweet, beautiful nephew Dylan.

Matthew and I started going to Christmas markets (Christkindl Markets) at the beginning of December. We started our Christmas season at the market in Lake Chiemsee, which is the biggest lake in Bavaria. To get there, we had to take the train from Munich Hauptbahnhof to Chiemsee, and then take this tiny trolley-like contraption (Chiemsee-Bahn) to the lake itself, and then take a 45 minute boat ride to the island in the center of the lake. It was an absurdly long excursion (about 3 hours in total), but it ended up being our favorite market and very, very worth it. The entire island was decked out in little Christmas huts, selling everything from wood carvings to Christmas ornaments to nutcrackers to gifts. We took our time walking around the entire island, drinking Glühwein (mulled wine, my new favorite beverage), eating brat sandwiches, and buying all sorts of knick-knacks and Christmas decor. It is really difficult to explain how magical it all truly was. It felt like being a kid on Christmas again in complete awe and wonder of all the lights, love, and beauty around us.

Getting ready to take the boat to the island at Lake Chiemsee

(Click image above for more pics at Lake Chiemsee)

The next day, we decided to stay more local and check out a few of the Christmas markets within Munich itself. We went to a hippy Christmas market, which had a ton of different ethnic stands with food, huge circus tents with gifts aplenty, and kitschy children’s entertainment, but it was all charming nonetheless. We then proceeded to Marienplatz which was insanely crowded - there were thousands of people all around us admiring the massive Christmas trees and Christmas sweets vendors. Again, I drank Glühwein (because…it’s amazing), but we mostly just walked around the area and people watched. On our walk back home, we passed by a medieval market that reenacted jousting and typical medieval fare, but it was definitely aimed at children and we decided to go back home. On a different day, we went to a market attached to one of our larger U-Bahn stations with my work for our Christmas party. This one was particularly special because we were sharing it with some of my dear friends from work and it was less about looking at all of the vendors and instead socializing.

At Marienplatz

Marienplatz at Christmas

(Click image above for more pics of Munich markets)

Finally, we made our way out to Nuremburg, Germany, which is the site of one of the most famous Christmas markets. Unfortunately, our day there was extremely rainy, which took away some of the charm of the whole day. Still, you could see how this was one of the most acclaimed Christmas experiences - there were stalls from all over the world selling Christmas goods and the entire town itself seemed to be taken over with the spirit. Our favorite area was actually just outside the train station and it felt like a quaint German village - the more mainstream area was less charming. The MAJOR plus note of this excursion was finally being able to meet Marina, who was a foreign exchange student from Germany that lived with Matthew and the Kern’s for a school year about 10 years ago. Matthew’s mom kept telling us to connect with her and we figured that the Christmas market was a perfect time to do so. Meeting Marina was so much fun - she and Matthew reconnected on the good old days in Hastings and we got to exchange stories of both Germany and Nebraska. She is also a complete lady boss who is finishing her residency and still making time to come out and see us, so needless to say, I hope we all meet again soon. Thanks for showing us around Nuremburg, Marina!

(Click images above and below for more pics of Nuremburg)

Right before we left, we managed to make it to Tollwood Winter Festival, which is a semiannual festival held on the Oktoberfest grounds. It lasts for a month and seeks to increase multicultural awareness and inclusiveness by allowing vendors and food from all over the world. We went on a Wednesday night after work and it was still extremely packed, but the people watching was AMAZING and we can’t wait to go back in the summer. We followed this up with walking through Karlsplatz, watching the ice skaters and seeing everyone truly soak up the Christmas spirit. It was the perfect ending to our Christmas in Bavaria, but we were still really excited to finally get home.

(Click image above for more pics)

Christmas in Nebraska felt extra special because we hadn’t seen our friends and family in so long. It was also extremely exhausting. We were trying to be as helpful with the new baby as possible, see as many friends and family/attend events as much as we could, AND still get in some important wedding planning. It was rough, but so so nice. After our 22 hour journey back home, my mom picked us up from the airport and immediately took us to my sister’s house so that I could meet my sweet, beautiful, perfect, wonderful nephew Dylan. Because my sister and her husband are so “evolved,” they would like to maintain Dylan’s “digital privacy.” As such, I have photoshopped pictures of Baby Yoda’s head over all pictures with the baby because I’m angry and nothing else is as close to as cute as Dylan as Baby Yoda, so it seems fitting. Also his parents are complete nerds, so it also makes sense. 

(Click images above for Christmas Eve and more pics of Baby Yoda aka Baby Dyl)

The first few days of the trip home included helping Alyssa get stuff organized around the house to maximize efficiency and being in complete awe of how much everything changes when a baby comes. Matt and I felt woefully unprepared watching Alyssa and Rajat manage everything that is required when a baby comes with so much grace. Sure, they haven’t slept in a few weeks, but they were gracious hosts and we were so happy to cook for them and enjoy sweet baby snuggles. I really have too many emotions about what it was like holding him for the first (and hundredth) time. He has brought so much light to our lives and I can’t wait to see the next generation flourish. I have also never been more proud of my sister who is handling being a mother like a champion. It has never been more difficult to be away from home then it is now, but they have my whole family there supporting them. Huge shoutout here to my mom as well who has already become the ultimate Nani and is basically on call for them nonstop. Much to my chagrin, Dylan’s favorite place to nap is on her, but after years of doing it myself, I can attest that she is very comfortable.

The rest of the trip honestly felt like a blur. We tried to spend as much time as possible with my Nana, Nani, and Aunt Preeta before she left on her trip, and luckily, I got to share Christmas Eve with them. We went to sample our wedding dinner, which is absolutely incredible by the way, and Matthew headed back to Hastings to spend Christmas with his family for a few days. We met back up at Lake Johnson, Matt’s favorite place in the world, and got to spend a wonderful McClure Christmas. After this, we went back to Hastings, went through ALL of Matt’s baby pictures for the scrapbook, and got his wedding suits figured out (thanks Ryan!). I must say, after looking at the baby pictures, I am convinced that we are going to have one really adorable child. And after spending time with baby Dylan, I think he’s ready for a cousin…in a few years haha! We returned to Lincoln and got to spend some more quality time with family and friends. On the following Saturday, we went to Omaha and had Christmas with the Kern’s, which somehow always ends up in competitions of physical strength and competitive ping pong matches, but it was a blast. The next day, we spent time with my dad and the Martin side of the family for Martin family Christmas, but I had to leave early because I had my wedding dress appointment. GREAT NEWS - I found my wedding dress and it was the first one I tried on haha! Huge thanks to Shannon at Blush Bridal Boutique for being an absolute goddess and helping us through the whole process. 

Sweet Baby Matthew.

(Click image above for more pics of the last few days in Lincoln)

Throughout the week, we got to see a handful of our wonderful friends, but coming home over the holidays is a really difficult time to see everyone, and for those we missed, we’ll hopefully see you again as soon as possible. Our time in Lincoln was a total whirlwind. We really miss seeing everyone, but we feel even more grateful that we have each other and this life we are building here together. Christmas 2019 is going to be super hard to top.

Love,

Alexandra and Matthew

Turkey for Turkey Day

Even though we are now officially in the new year and the roaring 2020s, this blog will be about Thanksgiving weekend 😂. I have fallen very behind on blogs because we have been busy visiting Istanbul, Turkey as well as going all around Bavaria for Christmas markets galore. We also got to go home for a very brief visit and I got to meet my sweet new and FIRST baby nephew as well as catch up with some friends and family. We are now officially exhausted from a crazy December, but I’ve been excited to write this blog because of how truly incredible Istanbul is. The first weekend trip Matthew and I went on was to Rome, and so far, that has still been Matthew’s absolute favorite. Istanbul, however, was a very close second for him! This is no doubt due to its incredible history, delicious foods, and extravagant bazaars and mosques, but also to the fact that the WHOLE city has literally been taken over by cats. Welcome to Istanbul AKA HEAVEN!

Because of the two-hour time difference between Munich and Istanbul, it was after midnight by the time we reached our hotel (which was super awesome, thanks for using points mom 😁). This really ensured that we only got one full day in Istanbul sadly, but we made the most of it. In the morning, we walked around Galata Tower, Karaköy (an artsy neighborhood of Istanbul), along the harbor, and Sultanahmet Square and had some photos taken. Matthew wasn’t too excited about more photos shockingly, but the walk all around Istanbul to less cliché tourist areas enabled us to experience the city more as the natives do, which we loved.

(Click image above for more pics)

After we returned to our hotel and changed, we decided to get an early lunch by Dolmabahçe Palace, which is located on the Bosphorus. When I was in Istanbul previously, we went on a long tour of Dolmabahçe Palace, but Matt and I were too limited on time to go into each of the rooms and decided to walk around the perimeter instead. The palace was built in the 1800s by a Sultan of the Ottoman Empire in an attempt to match the luxurious and contemporary castles enjoyed by the Europeans. It served as the main center of the Ottoman Empire until its end in 1922. Before I continue on with our day, it makes sense at this point to talk about the transition of the Roman and Byzantine rules (‘Constantinople’) to Ottoman rule and eventually the Turkish Republic (‘Istanbul’). Istanbul was initially named “Byzantium,” which was thought to have been named by Megarean colonists in the 600s BCE, and became an important city due to its strategic geographical location - half of Istanbul is in Europe and the other half is in Asia, separated by the Bosphorus strait. After the Roman Constantine established it as the “New Rome” in 330 CE, the city’s name changed to “Constantinople.” This period symbolized the shift of Roman power to eastern territories and many churches and the Hippodrome was built. When Constantine died however, the city was split into Eastern and Western sections. The west was continuously attacked by the German Visigoths who essentially ensured that Roman control no longer extended past Italy, while the eastern half was less geographically vulnerable and more politically structured, thus becoming the Byzantine Empire. 

The Byzantine emperor was the leader of most European Christians, but this eventually changed as the Crusades began, which was started by the European Christians against Muslims. Throughout the Crusades, tension grew between Byzantium and the West, and eventually the city was sacked in 1204, which greatly weakened the Byzantine Empire. By the middle of the 14th century, the Ottoman Turks began to take smaller towns and cities around Constantinople and eventually conquered the city in 1453. Here forth, Constantinople became the new capital of the Ottoman empire and the city was transformed from Christianity to Islamic rule, including the conversion of churches (like the Hagia Sophia) to mosques. The reach of the Ottoman Empire extended throughout the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and North Africa and offered a period of stability for the people. There was also emphasis on the forward progress of arts, science (particularly medicine), and religion. Eventually, however, their power weakened and they lost most of their territories during the Balkan Wars (1912-1913). Ottoman power officially ended after they sided with the Central Powers in WWI, were defeated, and became the Turkish Republic in 1923, which is when it was urged to start calling the city “Istanbul” as it is called today.

Entrance to Dolmabahçe Palace

(Click image above for more pics)

And now that you’re likely confused, we’ll continue on with our day 😂. We found a cool little café on the Bosphorus outside of Dolmabahçe Palace. We enjoyed a very tasty meal and coffee and enjoyed the stunning views as the people sitting closest to the water got attacked by seagulls attempting to eat their food - it was extremely entertaining. Then we walked around the harbor for a bit and made our way back to our hotel where our tour guide would soon be picking us up. On the walk, we decided to stop through a random park which was no joke a safe haven for cats. We immediately see 20-30 cats and kittens just running around and decide to walk through paradise for a bit. Note the cat slideshow below - I am not kidding when I say that I think we saw at least 200 cats in Istanbul.

(Click image above for more glorious cat pics)

Finally we arrive back at the hotel around lunchtime and are picked up to go on our tour. We were the first people picked up however and it took over an hour to get everyone and the tour started, which was super annoying. As a huge perk though, we randomly stopped on top of this hill waiting for other people to board the bus and got some truly spectacular overhead views of Istanbul. When the tour finally got going, we went to Sultanahmet Square and began with a walk through the Hippodrome. The Hippodrome of Constantinople was the city’s social center throughout its history, hosting chariot races, sporting events, and displaying monuments to demonstrate the conquests, including the Serpent Column (signified victory of Greeks over Persians) and the Obelisk of Theodosius (obtained from Egypt). 

The Serpent Column and the Obelisk of Theodosius in the Hippodrome

(Click image below for an additional pic)

We then went to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, colloquially referred to as the Blue Mosque. It was constructed during Ottoman rule and is still a functioning mosque today. To enter, we had to take off our shoes and carry them with us in plastic bags. I also had to get a large scarf and make sure my head and shoulders were completely covered. The inside was partly under construction, but the intricate mosaic tiles reminded me of the Taj Mahal and were very beautiful. Afterwards, we walked the very short distance to the Hagia Sophia, which as mentioned before, was a Christian cathedral turned Ottoman mosque. It has since been secularized and is now a museum which is breathtaking. It is hard to describe the immense beauty of the Hagia Sophia, and it is no wonder that it represents the peak of Byzantine architecture.  

The Blue Mosque

(Click image below for more pics of the Blue Mosque)

Outside the Hagia Sophia

Inside the Hagia Sophia

(Click image below for more pics of the beautiful Hagia Sophia)

When we finished the historical buildings, we got to go through the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market, for which we were both so excited. We tried street food (corn and chestnuts), bought all sorts of spices and teas, and watched as people tried to sell us everything from rugs to lamps to Turkish delights. This was definitely both of our favorite areas - we bought the very well known Turkish saffron, apple tea, and a huge assortment of cooking spices at a spice shop. We also bought an obscene amount of baklava and a Turkish delight (and ate almost all of it immediately) as well as some truly hilarious cat souvenirs that Matt insisted on (not even kidding). We randomly stopped at a Turkish restaurant for dinner and ate like kings - Matt had some incredible assorted kebabs and I had an eggplant dish. Hilariously enough, as we were walking around, I was reminded that this was Matt’s first time in a predominantly Muslim country (~98% of the population). The call to prayer in Islam occurs 5 times a day and is broadcasted over a loud speaker of sorts. When we heard it for the first time, we were walking down the street and Matt basically grabs my arm and pulls me out of the way, and I was like, “What’s going on?” He thought the call to prayer was a siren, like an ambulance siren coming near us, and I just busted out laughing because he’s so sweet and had no idea. I’m sure I made the same mistake when I heard it for the first time, but I was glad to explain to him what it was shortly before our tour guide explained it much better to the whole group.

Entrance to the Grand Bazaar

(Click image above for more pics of the spice market and goods sold at the Grand Bazaar)

(Click image below for more pics of random sights around Istanbul, which is honestly most food)

At this point though, we were pretty exhausted and headed back to the hotel after walking around for awhile and spent at least another hour at the cat park. A kitten kept jumping on my lap and letting me play with it, while this grumpy old man cat comes up out of nowhere, meows super deeply, and sits on Matt’s lap, demanding to be pet. We were in love. Though one day was certainly no where near enough, Istanbul enraptured Matt as much as it did for me the first time I visited. Though it was very difficult being away from everyone for Thanksgiving this year, going to Turkey was definitely a pretty great substitute :) Luckily, Matt spoiled us by making Thanksgiving dinner when we got back in the world’s tiniest kitchen - apple cider glazed turkey breast, cheesy potatoes, balsamic-glazed Brussels sprouts, and a pumpkin pie. Fun fact, Germans use pumpkins for savory foods predominantly, so we could not find pumpkin puree anywhere and had to make it ourselves. But HOLY COW it was so so good - even my Turkish coworker and soulmate at work, Hande, who was NOT a fan of pumpkin spice lattes, loved the pie. All in all, I highly recommend Turkey (the place) and turkey (the food), especially with a wonderful guy who happens to be a great chef.

(Click above for more pics of the Turkey Day feast)

Until next time!

Alexandra

Ma-Day in Madrid

Spain is magic. Before coming to Madrid, I had been to Barcelona (one of the greatest cities in the world), Valencia, and Mallorca on a family vacation, but those are all coastal cities and I wanted to be in the heart of Spain. Madrid is in the dead center of Spain and rich with culture, which prompted Matt and me to book a weekend trip in November. We thought that this would be a perfect time to go as there would be less tourists, more authenticity, and we could finally go somewhere without needing heavy jackets. While the first two were certainly true, Madrid was the first place in Europe we saw snow. So naturally, we were inadequately prepared and FREEZING, but the views of the landscape coupled with the medieval and Romanesque architecture more than made up for our lack of preparedness. 

When we were planning our itinerary, we saw that many of the attractions in Madrid itself were museums (mostly art), the Plaza Mayor, and the night life generally. I started looking at various tours that we could do, but I kept coming across day trips to Toledo, Segovia, and Avila. Toledo would take multiple days itself to do it justice, so we decided to do a day trip to Segovia and Avila despite the fact that we would not really see much of Madrid. In order to compensate for our lack of time and ability to see Madrid during the day, we decided that we would go to Plaza Mayor at 7:30 AM before starting our tour at 8:45 AM. This was particularly difficult, as our flight got delayed due to fires in France the night before, and we did not get in until 12:30 PM. Luckily, our AirBnB host was amazing and picked us up from the airport even though we did not know when we would land and how late it would actually be. Before I get into our strange morning, I would just like to mention that our AirBnB in Madrid was the BEST experience we have had with the service. Our host, Wim, was incredible - he got us to and from the airport despite terrible times at both ends, told us so much about the city, offered day trips all around the area as well as great tickets to flamenco shows at night (which we are definitely coming back for), and had an absolutely incredible place. His terrace was like an outdoor living room, complete with pool, comfortable furniture, and an abundance of jungle plants. If you go to Madrid, you would be doing yourself a huge disservice not to look him up and stay with him. 

But back to our strange morning. We took an Uber early in the morning to get to Plaza Mayor. Much to my chagrin, it was still dark outside, but apparently that fits Spain very well. As we were driving into the city, we noticed that it was like a ghost town. The only people who were out were people whose previous night had not yet ended, rather than people starting their day. When we got to the Plaza, it was completely empty, save for random construction crates, and it was still dark. We decided that we would go get breakfast somewhere, because surely there would be places nearby that had a great local breakfast. We walked around for 20 minutes and could not find ANYTHING and because Matthew needs to eat every five minutes, especially right when he wakes up, we caved and decided to go to the nearby Starbucks. As we walk up to the door at 7:45 AM, we noticed that it would not open. I was so confused, because I could see lights on inside and people working, but the door would not open. Matt said, “Alex, look at the sign,” and sure enough, Starbucks in Spain does not open until 8 AM. WHAT?! Spain is really on a different schedule than the rest of the world. They run much later than anywhere I have ever traveled to, but I needed coffee and Matt needed food so we waited. After breakfast, it was slightly lighter outside, so we walked around the Plaza and took some pictures before making our way to the tour. 

(Click image above for more pics of Plaza Mayor)

Our tour started with the drive to Avila, which was a stunning scenic view of the Parque Nacional de la Sierra de Guadarrama, a mountain range along the Iberian Peninsula. I was distracted by the incredible mountain scenery, cows, sheep, and a climate that seemed to fluctuate before our eyes. We went into a long tunnel with blue skies ahead and came out to a cold and overcast world as we headed towards Avila. Our Spanish tour guide Rafa, who translated the tour in English and Spanish the whole time, had actually been to Lincoln, Nebraska before, which was thrilling for Matthew and me (Aunt Preeta, thank you for pointing out this grammatical tip - I now notice it constantly 😂). We made it to Avila and visited the Basilica de San Vicente, which is a gorgeous church honoring the Christian martyrs Vicente, Sabina, and Cristeta. We then entered the city itself, which is surrounded by medieval walls that I feel like every child dreams about and associates with the age of Camelot. In fact, these defensive fortifications are the most complete in all of Spain and they enclose the entire beautiful city. We walked through different plazas of Avila, noting the Romanesque architecture and insane amount of religious structures, before making it to the Church and Convent of Santa Teresa de Jesus. Mother Teresa was a Spanish nun, prominent mystic (though later it was decided that she probably had epilepsy), and theologian, who was deemed to be a Doctor of the Church 400 years after she died. Venerated within this town, her convent is in the location where she was born and where she was integral in reformation of the Carmelite order. Outside this area was an incredible view of the surrounding mountains - it was pastoral, colorful, and like nothing I have ever seen. We then walked by the Cathedral of Avila, which was actually a cathedral-fortress and part of the city walls. When we left Avila, our tour took us to a view of the entire city encased within the city walls and it felt like looking back in time. For Matt, this was the highlight of the entire trip. 

(Click image above for more pics of the Basilica de San Vicente)

Entrance to Avila through the Walls

(Click image above for more pics of the Walls of Avila)

(Click image above for more pics of the square of Santa Teresa de Jesus)

(Click image above for more pics of Avila Cathedral)

(Click image above for more views of Avila)

(Click image above for more random sights of Avila)

After Avila, we started our journey to Segovia. When we got there, we had a lunch break where the tour included a beverage and a tapa (singular). It was…unsatisfying due to its small size, so we grabbed a quick actual lunch and walked around the aqueduct before rejoining the group. The Roman Aqueduct in Segovia was built sometime at the end of the 1st century AD and is one of the best preserved Roman aqueducts in the world. It was absolutely massive and breathtaking. Then, we went to the Cathedral of Segovia, which was one of the most intricately decorated and ornate churches I have ever seen. Inside, there are endless works of art, arches, and altars. Finally, we made it to the Alcazar of Segovia, which is a medieval castle overlooking two rivers and the Guadarrama Mountains. Without surprise, the majestic castle inspired Disney and his Cinderella castle, but now it is used as a military archives building and museum. 

Aqueduct of Segovia

Segovia

(Click image above for more pics of the Aqueduct)

Cathedral of Segovia

(Click image above for more pics of the Cathedral of Segovia)

Matt looking out the Alcazar

(Click image above for more pics of the Alcazar and incredible views from it)

(Click image below for random sights of Segovia)

After this LONG tour, we made it back to Madrid at sunset. We walked around busy shopping streets and eventually stumbled into a cute little place to get tapas, which were super delicious. We then went back to Plaza Mayor at night and there were literally thousands of people everywhere we looked. The locals in Madrid are always out and about at night, and it was some very fun people-watching for Matt and me. We decided to wait in a line 40 people deep for churros and fudge, which were surprisingly disappointing, and subsequently made our way back to the AirBnB because we were both exhausted. On the plus side, I had a very long conversation in (broken) Spanish with our Uber driver on the way home and felt very proud of myself while Matt understand basically none of it. Still, Spain is so unique and majestic - we both felt in awe at all of the incredible natural beauty surrounding us and the medieval structures that jumped right out of a storybook. Our time here was way too short, but it has made me decide that one day, I would love to take a 2 week road trip all through Spain because there is as much magic in the small towns as there are in the big cities. 

Adios amigos y familia,

Alexandra

(Click image below for random sights and foods of Madrid)

The Fall of the Wall - Berlin

Randomly in early November, Matt and I were looking for cheap, last minute weekend trips and saw that bus tickets were really cheap to Berlin over the weekend of the 10th. I went to Berlin in 2013 and had an absolute blast – Berlin is an extremely eclectic, international, and diverse city. I remember noticing how so many different groups of people seemed to live together in their own harmonious weirdness. What we did not realize when we booked the trip, however, is that we would be lucky enough to be there for the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Festival Week had exhibitions, demonstrations, and art all over the city commemorating the reunification of Germany and the end of Communist rule in a divided Berlin. Much to my chagrin, I felt that my knowledge of the Cold War was woefully lacking, and I had to do a ton of research to familiarize myself with the history of the Cold War to maximize my experience. After soaking it all in, we both became fascinated with how the world and time we were born into could have this level of conflict built up over decades. To say we were profoundly moved is an understatement. I should warn you all before you start reading this: this will not be a typical travel blog that is only about our itinerary and funny anecdotes. I really wanted to use this as an opportunity to reflect over the entire experience and how impactful it still is 30 years later. There will be a lot of history and context provided, but if like me, you feel that your historical education stopped after WWII, then I encourage you to continue reading. It may be enlightening, or it may bore you endlessly, but I want to do this experience justice, especially for all those who were separated from their families for 28 years by a wall. 

Before I get into our day, I wanted to provide the context for the fall of the wall and the reasoning behind the Cold War. It has been a long time since I have used any part of my History degree as an Undergraduate, but I have poured through dozens of articles and texts over the last few weeks, and this is the story as it appears to me. The Cold War was fought between Soviet Russia and the West for over 40 years following World War II. While the USSR and the USA shared the desire to end Nazi Germany and Hitler’s reign of terror, it became imminently obvious once WWII ended that the two countries held fundamentally diametric beliefs: the USA was a capitalist democracy and Russia was a communist dictatorship. After WWII, Germany was divided into four zones occupied by the USA, Russia, Britain, and France. The USA and Britain eventually merged their zones, leading to the formation of West Germany. They also had the western part of the city of Berlin, despite the fact that Berlin was in the heart of East Germany.

(Click image above for more pics of Cold War Art - there is art EVERYWHERE in Berlin)

The Soviets controlled all of East Germany and essentially all of Eastern Europe (the “iron curtain”), having more and more communists infiltrate governmental positions, which infuriated Winston Churchill and Harry Truman. Indeed, Joseph Stalin’s desire to spread communism instigated the formation of the “Truman Doctrine,” which basically sought to stop the expansion of communism and preserve democratic liberties throughout Europe. When the American George Marshall was sent to examine the state of affairs in Europe, he was taken aback by the amount of poverty and recommended that billions of dollars be sent for aid so that people would not be forced into Communism by their dire circumstances. The Marshall Plan thus took effect when his notion was correct and Czechoslovakia turned Communist. However, it is important to mention that countries turned Communist volitionally and internally– Russia never sent an army in to any eastern European country. Still, Stalin, who wanted the expansion of Communism and the aggressively anti-communist Truman viewed each other’s actions as signs of war, and thus the Cold War began.

This all came to a head when Russia was demanding its reparations from East Germany. The western forces were trying to restore Germany, even introducing its own currency, but Stalin saw this as an attack and stopped all traffic into Berlin, essentially trying to starve West Berlin who was completely surrounded by Soviet rule. In response, the USA airdropped food and supplies for almost a year until Stalin admitted defeat and opened the borders again. This contributed to the formation of NATO, which detailed the unification of America, Britain, and France into the Federal Republic of Germany, or West Germany, thus opposing Stalin and East Germany, which was now called the German Democratic Republic. 

East Germany is in purple, West Germany is gray (sorry the words are blurry)

(Click image above for more pics of Cold War Art)

In 1953, two important events happened: Joseph Stalin died and Russia developed the hydrogen bomb. Stalin’s replacement, Nikita Khrushchev, wanted peace, but instead promoted a competitive environment between the US and Russia for “total world domination.” This is what basically led to the space race, the desire to create weapons of mass destruction, and even intense rivalries in sports (I’m thinking about “Miracle” right now). But still, a major problem for the Soviets surrounded the split within Berlin: many East Germans were fleeing into West Germany, which was humiliating for them and sent a bad message. By 1961, Khrushchev demanded that the Americans leave West Berlin, but JFK refused to oblige. On August 13, Khrushchev closed the border between East and West Berlin and the Berlin Wall was built, the ultimate symbol for the Cold War.

While this was a pivotal point in the Cold War, Germany remained divided until 1989. Living conditions in East Germany were unbearable for some, and thousands of people tried to flee to the West or protest in the streets for democracy, environmental issues (think acid rain and even Chernobyl), and individual freedoms. The goal was to overthrow the Socialist Unity Party, known as the SED, who controlled Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, and Albania. Though Berliners were divided for nearly 28 years, the dissolution of Communist rule and the process towards reunification began to rapidly evolve in 1989. In June, Poland’s elections signaled the fall of Communism within the country, and at the same time, Hungary started removing barbed wire on the border with Austria, enabling East Germans to get through the border. President Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union did not fight these developments with violence, which was key for the dissolution of Communism in East Germany. Finally, Prague opened up entry for West Germany, and the East Germans were mobilized to call for full freedom of travel. Eventually, on November 9, the SED representative mistakenly announced that travel between the border would now be opening, effective immediately (when asked when travel restrictions would be lifted, he did not know the answer and said immediately, rather than gradually). That night, East Berliners flooded the streets and gathered at where the Berlin Wall could be crossed. The Wall was torn down, and this was an important symbol that the Cold War was finally ending and that Germany could finally reunite.

(Click image above for more pics of Cold War Art)

So 30 years later, here we are. Matt and I show up in Berlin with open minds and open hearts, eager to soak up the experience and hear the incredible stories of people who lived through that time, protested, or were having friends and family report their every move. We started the day at the Stasi Headquarters and went through their permanent exhibit on the wall. We wanted to make it to as many of the open air exhibitions as we could, but the exhibition at the Stasi Headquarters was by far the most detailed. The Stasis were the SED’s most lethal weapon – they were the secret police of East Germany who spied on everyone in the population through a network of thousands of civilian informants. They listened in on phone calls, employed family members to turn on each other and report to them, and kept detailed files of each citizen to catch escape attempts and general dissent. When their headquarters were taken over in winter 1989, a huge debate was spurred over what to do with all of the information they collected, though much of it was destroyed by the Stasi before their capture. For a super interesting article on the children “stolen” from the GDR, I highly recommend this article. Also, here is another fascinating article that goes further into East Germans snitching on each other.

The massive exhibition at the Stasi Museum

(Click image above for more pics at the Stasi Museum)

Bruce Springsteen played to over 160,000 fans at his concert at WeiBensee Racetrack on July 19, 1988. There was a high demand by the youth of Germany for Western music.

After this, we went to Gethsemane Church and Alexanderplatz for two more exhibitions. At the beginning of October 1989, Gethsemane Church became the headquarters of the revolution, hosting several informational events that attracted thousands of people who also sought safety and information at the church. Alexanderplatz is a huge public area and also the site of the largest protest demonstration on November 4, 1989, just five days before the wall went down. Protestors fought for freedom to travel, free elections, freedom of speech, the environment, and the legalization of dissenting parties. Also at Alexanderplatz, I was bombarded by a Mickey Mouse randomly – this seems to be a recurring theme for me this year (Chewbacca and I immediately clicked at Disney World). Matt and I grabbed a quick lunch at a place that made hybrid Indian-Mexican burritos and they were SUPER delicious. 

Gethsemane Church

Alexanderplatz

(Click image above for more pics of Gethsemane Church and aggressive Mickey Mouse)

We then made our way to the start of our walking tour after eating and walked around an incredible food/local goods market while waiting for it to begin. Matt and I have done a lot of walking tours, but this was by far one of the best because of our amazing tour guide Tobi, who was an East German himself and 16 years old when the wall came down. Not only was the tour extremely interesting and informative, but he also provided riveting insights into what life was like before and after the wall came down. Naturally, we always talk about the “perfection of capitalism,” but there were many East Berliners who had a very difficult time making ends meet after the wall came down. Many were used to Communism, and at the very least, having basic needs provided. Learning how to support oneself and a family in a Capitalist society after the wall was an exceedingly challenging transition for some, and this led to unfavorable attitudes towards Westerners and resentment for the “new ways.”

We began the tour at Museum Island in Berlin, which is a beautiful, lush area where The Altes Museum, the Neues Museum, the Alte Nationalgalerie, The Bode Museum, The Pergamom Museum, and the Humboldt Forum are located. Intriguingly, you can still see bullet holes and damage on the buildings from the Allied bombings in 1943 and 1945. We then walked by Berliner Dom, or the Berlin Cathedral. The dome of the Cathedral is extraordinary and one of the main attractions of Berlin. The church itself experienced extensive damage during WWII, but it was fully restored after the Berlin Wall came down and is used as a Protestant Church.

Matt and I in front of the Berliner Dom

(Click image above for more pics of Museum Island, Berliner Dom, and Food Markets)

When I think about Berlin, one of my most distinct memories from both trips is how poignant the memorials are. We made our way to Humboldt University after this, which not only had incredible professors like Albert Einstein and Max Planck, but is also the site of one of the largest book burnings in history, which was put into effect by the Nazis. Two incredibly powerful memorials are in the square of the university to commemorate these events: there is a glass encasement of an empty bookcase that could shelve 20,000 books, symbolizing all of the books that were lost, and a plaque with a quotation from Heinreich Heine, which stated, “This was but a prelude; where they burn books, they ultimately burn people.” Heine made this statement in 1820 in response to another book burning, but his impactful words rang true with the Holocaust. I will never forget these memorials – as an avid lover of books and reading, it is tragic to think of how many original works of literature were destroyed, but Berlin truly did a spectacular job reminding the world to never forget what happened.

Empty Bookcase for the 20,000 books burned

“This was but a prelude; where they burn books, they ultimately burn people.”

(Click above for more pics of Humboldt University and the Book Burning Memorial)

We next passed the French and German Cathedrals on our way to Checkpoint Charlie, which was the name the Allies gave to the crossing point during East and West Berlin. It is very touristy now, but it is important because it serves as a key symbol of the Cold War to Berliners. We walked from Checkpoint Charlie to the longest remaining portion of the wall, which was actually layered with two walls with a “no man’s land” in between that had sniper towers and hungry dogs to prevent people from crossing. Seeing it at twilight was pretty ominous– its looming presence serves as an eerie reminder of the divided city. We then ventured to Hitler’s Bunker, where he supposedly spent his last days before he committed suicide. It is now a parking lot in an apartment complex, because Berlin did not want to glorify any potential Hitler tourism. There is but a single plaque stating what it is, and it is more than enough. Fittingly, we went to the other memorial whose power is seared permanently in my mind afterwards: the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. The Memorial is a 200,000 square feet site with nearly 3,000 concrete slabs of different sizes placed in a grid. The architect behind this wanted to produce a confusing and uneasy atmosphere, leaving the impression that we “lost touch with human reason” with the Holocaust. It is very unsettling and very powerful to walk through silently. We subsequently ended the tour at Brandenburg Gate, but because the concert was taking place there, we did not stay long. Before we headed back to our AirBnB for the night, we decided to go to the East Side Gallery to see all of the art and different perspectives.

Checkpoint Charlie and Matt

Hitler’s Bunker

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

(Click above for more pics of the French and German Cathedrals, Checkpoint Charlie, the Wall, the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe, Brandenburg at night, and East Side Gallery)

In the morning, we went back to Brandenburg Gate and walked around the remains of the concert the night before. The Brandenburg Gate is the site of many iconic images, which shows Berliners climbing onto the Wall by the gate and dancing on November 9, 1989. It one of the best-known landmarks in Germany, and arguably within the world. On top of the gate is the Quadriga driven by the goddess Victoria, which was temporarily stolen by Napoleon at one point. We then walked by the Soviet War Memorial and the Beethoven-Haydn-Mozart Memorial before taking the most magical walk around Tiergarten park. Matt kept pushing me to do this, and I did not want to, but he was super right. I was wrong. It was important to him that I admit this haha!

Matt and I in front of Brandenburg Gate

Post Concert Decorations

Tiergarten

(Click image above for more pics of Brandenburg Gate and the Soviet War Memorial)

(Click image below for more pics of the insanely beautiful Tiergarten)

(Click above image for random sights around Berlin, including the Russian and US embassies)

Trabant - East Germany’s answer to the Volkswagen Beetle as an affordable car. Because metal was expensive, the body was manufactured with a form of plastic. Hiiiighly sketchy.

This marked the end our whirlwind weekend and we were left with a lot of questions. Are Germans really happy today? Was reunification successful? Many say no – the wall coming down was abrupt and the ensuing transition was very difficult for many East Germans. Further, there were a lot of added expenses in the unification, and the former East German economy collapsed. Westerners were often resented by Easterners for their arrogance, and there is still some general malaise between the two sides. Today, Angela Merkel, an East German herself, is Chancellor and has been in this position since 2005. Now in her fourth term as chancellor, she has been credited with lowering staggering rates of unemployment and boosting the economy, but also for enabling an influx of one million refugees from the Syrian Civil War and Libyans to enter Germany in 2015. This was not favorable for all Germans, and led to the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany, whose existence was further capitalized from Brexit and Donald Trump’s election. Merkel still won re-election in 2017, but the alternative group captured nearly 13% of the vote and became another grand coalition within the government. So is Germany really aligned? Do East Germans feel at one with West Germans and vice-versa? I don’t know. For Matt and me, it was a really eye-opening weekend, and it is very difficult to fathom how the world could have been like this just 30 years ago. But just 30 years before that was the Civil Rights Movement, and before that, the lead-up to WWII. At the very least, it seems like there are massive generational decisions that need to be made, and this weekend was a powerful reminder for me to double-down on my beliefs of equal rights for everyone, regardless of orientation and identification. The main takeaway is to never forget, and I know that I will never forget this weekend.

All my love,

Alexandra

The Down-Low on Oslo

While I am actually traveling the world (well, Europe) right now, my first experience as a global traveler was at Epcot in Disney World. As a kid, Epcot was definitely the lamest of the Disney parks because of the lack of thrill-seeking rides, but it was always my mom’s FAVORITE and she would make sure we hit alllll of the countries. Despite my naiveté and extreme boredom at having to experience other people’s cultures (LOL - how things have changed), I always remembered Norway and the fjords. On top of this, the movie “Frozen” takes place in the fictitious Arendelle, Norway, and as this is one of my favorite movies because of the strong sister relationship (love you, Lyssy), I had longed to visit Norway even more. Matthew, who says he easily could have been a viking, was also very excited to go to Norway, and so when we found cheap and inconvenient airline tickets, we naturally booked a trip to Oslo right away.

We started our journey on a Friday, but had to first fly to Riga, Latvia and stay overnight. We ended up getting a really nice hotel for very cheap, but we got in so late and left so early that we did not get to explore Riga at all, which was a HUGE bummer. Admittedly, my knowledge of Riga stems from Hannah Brown’s stint as the bachelorette, but I hope we get the opportunity to go back at some point. Our flight the next morning was at 7:00 AM, letting us get into Oslo at around 8:30 AM or so, so we decided to take advantage of my priority pass credit card and check out the Riga Priority Lounge. The breakfast, which we gorged ourselves on, was amazing and it was no surprise that the lounge is one of the top-rated airport lounges in Europe. This was a definite highlight for both Matt and me 😂.

Our short time in Riga

After this rather long journey, we finally arrived in Oslo. First impression: it was FREEZING. I am used to cold winters as a Nebraskan obviously, but the wet cold with the wind combination was pretty brutal. It also prevented us from seeing the fjords, which was a massive letdown. If you go to Norway, go when it is warmer. But still, we took the train to the city center and headed to our AirBnB. For the first time, we rented a private room in an apartment, but the room was beautiful with abundant natural lighting. It was also very reasonably priced and I got to have an illuminating chat with the resident on the intersection of American and European politics. This was an extra good deal because of its proximity to the National Theatre and city center (~15 minutes), which brings us to our next impression: Oslo is outrageously expensive. Matthew and I were as frugal as we could possibly be, touring everything on our own and not paying for any extra, and we still spent more in one day in Norway than any of our other trips. So basically, go when it’s warm and bring a ton of money 🤷🏽‍♀️. 

But back to Oslo - we started our day off at the Viking Ship Museum. The museum is known for housing three former Viking ships, as well as other relics that were found during their excavation. The most famous ship is the Oseberg ship, which is completely intact. In the early 1900s, the whole ship was excavated within 3 months, but took over 20 years to prepare and restore it. The bow and stern of the ship have extremely ornate carvings, and several viking wood carvings were found on the ship. Also found were the remains of two significant women who were buried there. It is unknown as to who the women were, but they died in 834 and were accompanied by numerous burial gifts for their voyage to the afterlife, including five beds, tents, fifteen horses, six dogs, and two cows. The other ships in the Viking Ship Museum include the Gokstad Ship and the Tune Ship. Like the Oseberg ship, the Gokstad ship was found buried below ground level. This ship was also well-preserved, and could be sailed as well as rowed. It was most likely used for “voyages of discovery,” engaging in trade, and raids. When the ship was retired of its duties, it became a burial ship for a rich and powerful man, who based off his remains, was probably killed in battle from severe lacerations on the legs. The last ship, the Tune ship, was in the worst condition unfortunately due to its hasty unearthing. Unlike the other ships, it had a very strong mast support and a different hull, which enabled the ship to be a fast, sea-going vessel potentially used for wars. These ships in person were absolutely massive, but it is so difficult to fathom actually sailing across the Atlantic in them and how freezing it would have been. After seeing a very neat video the museum put together, I am certain that I could NOT handle it, but Matt had the opposite reaction and is certain that he could 🙄.

The Oseberg Ship

(Click image for more pics of the museum, ships, and wood carvings)

After the museum, we went back to the city center and walked around the harbor a bit. We saw the Oslo Opera house, which is directly on the harbor and very beautiful. Unsurprisingly, it has won many different architecture awards. We then ate lunch and decided to make our way to Holmenkollen Ski Jump. The panorama of the city from up there alone was breathtaking and we actually went for the 2 hours it happened to be clear. The ski jump itself has been central to Norwegian skiing since 1892 and has hosted cross-country skiing and ski jumping competitions for 100+ years. Matt was particularly shocked about how narrow the landing seems for how extraordinarily tall it is. It is difficult to comprehend how terrifying it would be - you go nearly 60 miles/hour and glide for nearly 5 seconds in the air before landing. After, we walked all around the area and got the most spectacular views of Oslo. I took SO many pictures, but it was easy to see why people rave about the incredible beauty of Norway.

Opera House + Harbor

Holmenkollen Ski Jump

(Click image above for more pictures of the harbor and ski jump!)

(Click image above for more spectacular views of Oslo)

We then took a train back into Oslo and decided to walk around the National Theatre area. The National Theatre began hosting plays since its inauguration in 1899 and has statues honoring Henrik Ibsen and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, two famous Norwegian writers. We walked around the area, as there are a ton of outrageously expensive shops and restaurants. It was not long until we got legitimately hungry though, so we headed to Mathallen food hall. Mathallen food hall is an indoor food market with a ton of specialty food shops and cafes from Norway. It was so eclectic and Matt and I walked around everything for over an hour before we settled on eating at Vulkanfisk, a seafood bar and shop. The next two hours of Oslo were exhilarating. Matt and I sat at the bar and got to watch the chefs prepare all of the food, and there was no shortage of drama. I don’t think we spoke a word to each other between the delectable seafood and the juicy spectacle in front of us. It was particularly fun for us as we are both reading “Kitchen Confidential” by Anthony Bourdain right now.

(Click image above for more pics of the National Theatre and Mathallen Food Hall, including our dinner)

We ended up deciding to head home at this point. A benefit of not speaking the native tongue in Europe is the inability to unintentionally listen to other people's conversations. We never understand what people are saying and can just tune out everyone else. In Norway, however, it is much more common to find people who speak English, which made our trek home very fun for me and very painful for Matthew. We ended up sitting across the bus aisle from two teenage girls who were talking EXTREMELY loudly about typical teenage issues that were super exaggerated. Interspersed with loud and frequent giggles, Matt's face was falling ever so slightly. He was not the only one annoyed though - there was a man in his late 30s sitting directly next to the girls, and I said "Don't worry Matt, you’re not the only one feeling this way. Look at the guy next to them." Right as Matt glanced over, the guy dropped his head, shook it, and looked like he was actually dying inside, prompting Matt and me to bust out laughing on the bus. I still crack up thinking about this. I personally loved the girls - I thought they were dramatic, funny, and charmingly self-involved in the way only 14-year-old girls can be, but it was definitely a highlight of the entire trip for me.

(Click image above for more shots of Oslo - it’s mostly the beautiful foliage)

The next morning, we tried to make it to the Vigeland sculpture park, but ended up getting lost. Still, we saw amazing views of Oslo again and made our way to the airport. Overall, Oslo was beautiful, but very expensive and we wish that we would have gone when it was warmer. For example, our tiny breakfast that morning cost us 20 euros, and the ridiculous people in front of us at the bakery spent 60 EUROS ON BREAKFAST. When we got home though, we decided to go out to our favorite Indian restaurant in Munich (called ‘Masala’) because we wanted to celebrate Diwali. As I left, I said “Happy Diwali” to our waiter, and he ran after me and gave me a big box of mittai (a box of tasty Indian sweets). This gesture made me miss my Nani, Nana, and the rest of my family so much back at home, and it meant so much. Matt and I demolished the box, and it was the perfect ending to our weekend. 

Until next time!

Alexandra

The Prague Blog

Before my backpacking excursion in 2013, I never thought of Prague as a “must-see” city by any means. While I am partly Czech and very keen on the Bohemian lifestyle, it was not a city I heard many people discuss when they told of their European travels. After my first visit in 2013 though, I was shocked that it was one of my absolute favorite European cities. This is one of the few cities that my mom had not been to, and she always asked what I loved so much about Prague. Truthfully, it was so hard for me to put into words what I specifically was enamored with, but with how close Prague and Munich are (5 hours by bus), I knew Matt and I would go. And yet again, it rocked my world. Prague is in the heart of Bohemia - a place that venerates artists, musicians, vagabonds, and free souls. Adorned with burnt orange roofs, incredibly old religious buildings, graffiti walls celebrating “Lennonism” (not Leninism), and a SPECTACULAR bridge, Prague has remained one of my favorite places in the world.

As I alluded to before, Matt and I reached Prague by bus, which was supposed to take only five hours. The departure time was set at 3:00 PM in the afternoon, allowing us to get in by 8:00 PM that night, but our bus was delayed and did not take off until 4:30 PM. This was terrible because it took us over an hour and a half just to get out of Munich. Traffic was infuriating, and not something I am used to being a Nebraskan and only using the metro here. Still, riding through Bavaria and the Czech Republic at sunset was breathtaking and we arrived at our AirBnB that night. For the first time, we had an entire apartment to ourselves for a very reasonable price in a location that was only ~25 minutes from Charles Bridge by public transportation. 

On Saturday, I had a very full day booked for the two of us. We scheduled a walking tour + traditional Czech lunch + canal cruise through Viator, and then I scheduled a photoshoot for Matt and I with Prague Photo Day on Charles Bridge at sunset. While it was an absolutely perfect day weather-wise (70 degrees, the bluest and clearest sky possible), the tour was subpar to say the least. The whole excursion was supposed to only take 7 hours, going until 4:00 PM, so I scheduled our photoshoot for 5:30 PM, thinking we would have plenty of time to get ready for it. I also figured that the tour would be slightly shorter because we were not allowed into the infamous Prague Castle due to the death of Karel Gott, whose funeral was being held there that day. Karel Gott was known as the “Sinatra of the East.”  We saw parts of the service and heard a recording of his voice, and it was beautiful and haunting. But back to the point - the tour, lunch, and cruise were all supposed to happen within 7 hours, and it took way longer and we were not even able to do the cruise, which was super frustrating.

Views of Charles Bridge (Click image above to see more pics)

Still, we saw the incredible sights of Prague and my knowledge of the Hussite-Catholic battles from Introduction to Christianity in college really paid off. We started the day off at Knights of the Cross Square, near the Charles Bridge. In the square, there is a statue of Charles IV, the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia who commissioned the bridge. Also in the square was the St. Francis of Assisi Church, which has a beautiful dome that is always seen on Prague’s skyline. We then crossed the Charles Bridge, which is over the Vltava river and connects the Old Town with the Prague Castle. The bridge is 1700 feet long and 33 feet wide with 30 baroque statues situated on each side of it. It is now only a pedestrian bridge that is absolutely packed with people, ranging from artists selling their work, an incredible variety of musicians, and crafters, along with so many tourists. One of the most famous memorials on the bridge is for St. John of Nepomuk, who was sentenced to death by King Wenceslas IV (not the guy from the Christmas carol). St. John was drowned in the river because he refused to tell the King what his wife said in the confessional, becoming a martyr. Legend has it that where he was dropped in the river, five stars appeared overhead that night over his body, and fisherman found him and believed it was a sign of his holiness, or something along those lines. Now, there is a statue honoring him and a metal grate with a depiction of his body and the five stars, which people touch and make a wish on. 

Knights of the Cross Square

St. John of Nepomuk Memorial

Views from Charles Bridge (musicians, artists, and tourists galore!) (Click image above for more pics)

After we crossed the bridge, we went to the John Lennon Wall, or what was SUPPOSED to be the wall. Apparently, Matt and I went right when it was blocked off to be cleaned, which is infuriating because I absolutely LOVED this area of Prague. It was so beautiful and inspiring and full of passion and love aaaaand it was covered up of course. People made a mini version of it nearby, but this was super anticlimactic. We instead walked through Mala Strana, the “Lesser Town” of Prague, which is a very bougie area with many noble palaces.

The Fake Wall

(Click image above for more pics)

The next stop was the Strahov Monastery, which had an amazing panoramic view of Prague. The compound also has a church and apparently the most beautiful library of all time, but of course our tour guide didn’t tell us that. Still, the view of Prague was stunning from up there. Following this we ventured to the Prague Castle, which we unfortunately could not enter that day (Karel Gott). The castle itself has hosted the kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman emperors, and Czechoslovakian presidents, as well as being the largest ancient castle in the world.

Strahov Monastery

Strahov Monastery, the Panoramic View, and Karel Gott’s service at the Prague Castle (Click image above for more pictures)

The next part of the tour took us to Old Town Square, which has the Church of Our Lady before Týn, Prague Orloj, St. Nicholas Church, and the statue of Jan Hus, who spoke against Catholicism, started a Protestant reform movement, and was later burned at the stake. When he died, his followers (known as the Hussites), fought the Catholics in Prague for religious freedom in Bohemia. They were defeated and Bohemia was reconverted to Catholicism (by force), starting the “dark ages,” where all religions except for Catholicism were banned. Prague Orloj is the medieval astronomical clock on Old Town Hall. It is the oldest astronomical clock still in operation, and it has a show on every hour of religious sculptures moving around. The clock is beautiful, but the hourly show is…less than exhilarating. It was a “can miss.”

Panorama of Old Town Square

Prague Orloj

Sights of Old Town Square (Click image above for more pics)

There is also a rich Jewish history in Prague - it is one of the oldest communities in all of Central Europe. We went to the Jewish Quarter and ghetto, which was a center of Jewish mysticism. The Old Jewish Cemetery is contained within the ghetto, and though it is not very large at all, there are over 200,000 people buried there, with the tombs stacked on each other. The Maisel Synagogue is also in the Jewish Quarter, adorned with flowers and very beautiful. It was built in the “golden age of the ghetto” in the 16th century. It is located near the Old New Synagogue, which was completed in 1270 and is Europe’s oldest active synagogue.

Sights of the Jewish Quarter (Click image above for more pics)

After this, we finally had our traditional Czech lunch at 2:30 PM, but it was not exactly our favorite meal. By the time this got done, we would not have gotten onto the Canal Cruise until 3:45, which would not have finished for another hour, making getting ready for our photoshoot very difficult. We still went with the group to try and see if we could make it work, but when we got there, there was a line of at least 100 people, and it would have taken at least an hour waiting to board the boat (though, we sorta thought we had guaranteed “skip the line” tickets). Our tour was a bust in the end, but we still got to walk around the main sights of Prague several times on an absolutely gorgeous day. We rushed home, got changed super quick, and rushed back to the Charles Bridge for pictures at sunset with Prague PhotoDay. Matt agreed begrudgingly because it was a really good deal, but the pictures turned out gorgeous and it’s nice having good photos of us together traveling, so I was THRILLED. We walked around Old Town for a few hours afterwards, buying souvenirs, eating a fancy dinner, drinking the esteemed Czech beer, and eating a heavenly churro-like, sugar-dipped cone with ice cream. 

(Click image above for more pics)

(Click image above for more pics)

Random sights of Prague (Click image above for more pics)

Overall, Prague mystified me yet again, and Matt also fell in love with the city. Without a doubt, I know that I will return here again, and hopefully with our dear friends Andrea and David (David is fully Czech with family here, visiting often, so hopefully we can tag along someday haha!) - Prague is already sorely missed.

Until next time!

Alexandra

Amsterday

A Rainy Day in Amsterdam. Sorry not sorry for the pun - I actually cannot help myself.

I was SO excited to go to Amsterdam with Matt. We both knew that it would be one of our first excursions because of its infamy. When I had visited Amsterdam with my Contiki tour in 2013, I remember anticipating a dirty, grungy city full of mischief and debauchery. I was pleasantly surprised that only half of that was true - Amsterdam is an absolutely beautiful city interspersed with canals, lush greenery, aggressive bicyclists, and gorgeous flowers. And also a lot of marijuana and prostitutes. 🤷🏽‍♀️ Still, its moniker as the “Venice of the North” is extremely fitting. 

Unfortunately, plane tickets to Amsterdam were crazy expensive, so we had to take a 12-hour overnight bus. It was brutal, to say the very least, but we managed to get some sleep and arrived early Saturday morning. Thus far, we have had really good luck with AirBnB everywhere we’ve gone, but for some reason, the options in Amsterdam were a bit dubious and kinda sketchy (WEIRD, RIGHT?). Luckily, mama Ameeta is a goddess and put us up in a super swanky hotel with her points (see the crazy pictures). Thank you mom! I know you (and we) were relieved that we were staying somewhere reputable in Amsterdam 😂.

Moxy Amsterdam Houthavens (Click image to see more pics)

Immediately when we checked in, we had to rush out quickly and make the walking tour/canal cruise that we booked. The tour started in the Red Light District at the Old Church (yes, you read that right). The Old Church is surrounded by brothels, bars, and dispensaries, but it is the oldest building in Amsterdam and is at the center of the city. Outside the church is a statue named “Belle,” which serves to honor the prostitutes of the world. The statue roughly translates to, “Respect sex workers all over the world.” Though prostitution has only been legalized in Amsterdam since 2000, the brothels are tightly regulated with the intention of protecting the workers as much as possible. We were told that many of the women come from Eastern Europe, work for a few years, and make enough money to retire early in life and live the dream. It was oddly empowering. 

Old Church

Walking around the Red Light District

The infamous “Belle” outside of Old Church

Views around Amsterdam (Old Church, Canals, and public urinals for men that Matt actually used hahaha) (Click image to see more pics)

There are also several cannabis dispensaries, referred to as “coffee shops” all over Amsterdam. They certainly do sell coffee at these shops, but that is not their prime merchandise. It is illegal to smoke outside in Amsterdam, so most of the coffee shops have smoking areas inside. I think most people are surprised that the pungent odor of marijuana is not smelled when walking around, and the majority of people respect this law. Now while prostitution, marijuana, and magic mushrooms are all perfectly kosher in Amsterdam, public drinking is absolutely not allowed and very strictly enforced. Matt and I laughed a lot at all of the signs warning people of drinking in public everywhere, but hey, you gotta draw the line somewhere, right?

(Click image to see more pics)

The next part of the tour focused on the history of Jews in Amsterdam, a facet of WWII history of which Matt and I were certainly unaware. By the end of the war, 3/4 of the Dutch Jews were murdered, with more than 100,000 Jews transported from the Netherlands primarily to Auschwitz and Sobibor extermination camps. The Netherlands suffered the greatest number of Jewish casualties in WWII. The statistics are sobering, to say the very least. The Netherlands suffered more than other countries because the German police had sole authority over the deportations, and of the 30,000 Jews in the Netherlands that tried to escape or go into hiding, 1/3 of them were betrayed or discovered. 

We spent a little bit of time in the Jewish Historical Museum, which displays artifacts and artwork associated with Jewish history and culture in Amsterdam. Unfortunately, many of the cultural objects of Jews in the Netherlands were destroyed during WWII, but the memorial was beautiful and haunting. We also made friends with a super cute cat there. We also saw the Portuguese Synagogue, which was the largest synagogue in Europe when it was constructed in the 17th century. It still does not have electric lighting and is illuminated by candles. Finally, we took a walk through Wertheim Park, which is where the Auschwitz memorial was. The monument is made of broken glass and mirrors, which is supposed to symbolize that “heaven is no longer unbroken since Auschwitz.”

Walking around the beautiful Jewish Quarter

The Auschwitz Memorial

The Jewish Historical Museum

Sights in the Jewish Quarter (The Portuguese Synagogue + The Jewish Historical Museum) (Click image to see more pics)

Our walking tour officially ended after this, and we walked passed Zuiderkerk Church, which is a Protestant church in Amsterdam that inspired both Rembrandt and Monet. We also walked over innumerable canals on our way to our canal cruise. The city was constructed around the utilization of canals - three were used for residential development and one was used for defense, with many interconnecting waterways and bridges throughout. Unfortunately for us, our day in Amsterdam was SUPER rainy. On our way to the cruise, we were caught in a torrential downpour, but luckily, our canal cruise was covered, though the views were not as clear.

Walking around canals after the rain

Zuiderkerk Church

Canals + Canal Cruises + Houseboats (Click image for more pics)

Before our last excursion of the day, we enjoyed some amazing food from a beautiful restaurant called “Cafe in de Waag.” We both had delicious salmon dishes and ended up walking around the food markets and shops for dessert. Because of Amsterdam’s “extracurricular activities,” Amsterdam has some seriously amazing and decadent desserts, which we certainly demolished. It was gluttonous to say the very least. 

Alllll the food (Click image for more pics)

Our day ended at the Anne Frank House, which is where the Frank family hid with the Van Pelt family and Fritz Pfeffer. The hiding place was located over Otto’s factory and company, which traded pectin, herbs, and spices. In May of 1940, the Nazis invaded the Netherlands and laws and regulations impinging on the lives and rights of the Jews were imposed, including mandatory enforcement of Jews wearing the Star of David as an identifier. When Margot, Anne’s older sister, was called to report to a “labor camp” in Germany in July 1942, the Franks went into hiding in the annex Otto developed, along with the help of his colleagues, over the factory. During this period, Anne received a diary for her 13th birthday, and started documenting their daily life. Wanting to be a journalist and writer, she wrote short stories, novels, and everything that happened. The secret annex was discovered on August 4, 1944, and the Franks took the last train from the Netherlands to Auschwitz. Anne and Margot ultimately died from exhaustion at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, and Edith, their mother, died at Auschwitz. Only Otto survived, and he ensured that Anne’s diary was introduced to the world and that the secret annex was reconstructed to exactly as it was so that people would not forget the atrocities suffered by the Jews in the Holocaust.

Outside of the Anne Frank House

Anne Frank Memorial outside of the house (Pictures are not allowed inside)

I had been to the Anne Frank House on my previous visit, but it hit me in a completely different way this time. I read Anne Frank’s diary as a girl, and found her writing to be relatable and captivating. But seeing the actual place she hid and feeling the terror they must have felt constantly for two years was overwhelming. It was an extremely emotional experience. She kept a book of “beautiful sentences,” where she would write down all of her favorite quotes that she heard, and I have a similar journal of my favorite quotations from books I’ve read. It hit very close to home and it is truly a life-changing tribute.

Random sights around Amsterdam (Click image for more pics)

I am so glad to have shared Amsterdam with Matthew. Even though it is known for its mischief, Amsterdam is really a beautiful and thriving city with a dark history. I could not recommend it more, and I truly hope that this is not our last time in the incredible city.

Until next time,

Alexandra

Oktoberfest and Momtoberfest

Without a doubt, going to Oktoberfest was one of the biggest reasons Matt and I were excited about moving to Germany. As a girl who lived the dream at Husker tailgates, I expected it to elicit similar feelings, but it absolutely blew our minds once we actually experienced it.

But before Oktoberfest took place, my mom came and visited us, which was honestly equally exciting for me. Our goodbye to each other in Lincoln was not overwhelmingly emotional, which if you know me is shocking, but it’s because we both knew that she would come and visit soon and make sure that we had our lives in order. When she finally came in the middle of September though, I did not realize how much I needed to see her. In Lincoln, I would see my mom at least once a week on top of talking at least 3 times every day. While we still talk super often here, it has not been the same, and I miss her all the time. If you get to see your mom whenever you want, give her a BIG hug, because I really miss being able to do that. 

Still, having a week with her was the best. Unfortunately, the second she got here, she got really sick and then passed that sickness on to me (THANKS MOM), which ruined our chances at doing any major sightseeing together. However, it also enabled us to spend some amazing quality time with each other. We snuggled in bed most of the days, watched shows on Hulu with reading mixed in, and did some much needed wedding planning. This is another reason I love and need my mom: she is so so good at checking items off her to-do list. I am really good at making them (and making them look super pretty), and then watching the list grow and grow without actually accomplishing the tasks. My mother, however, is an actual superhero who can accomplish an entire list in a few hours. Thank you 1000x for that week together, mom. Also come back :(

Luckily, she felt slightly better towards the end of the week when I was at work and did some sightseeing on her own. In her words, she knows Munich better than Matt and I now, which to be fair is probably 50% true haha! She left the day before Oktoberfest began, but luckily we were able to explore the Oktoberfest grounds together a bit and she got an idea of how truly massive it is. Mom, I miss you all the time, but boy did you miss out by not staying a few extra days!

(click image above for more pics)

Oktoberfest is absolutely incredible. Called Wiesn here, the festival starts with a parade of all the breweries bringing in their barrels of beer and esteemed patrons. Matt and I luckily got to watch the parade and see all of the beautiful dirndls (dresses) and lederhosen. It was a spectacle to say the very least. While mom and I bought a dirndl for me when she was in town (which was an experience in and of itself given the lack of modesty suggested by our sales girls hahaha), Matt had yet to find any lederhosen for under 200 Euros. Luckily, while walking back from the parade, we walked into a random shop and found lederhosen for a very reasonable price, and Matt looked dang good if I do say so myself. With those legs, he was born to wear lederhosen.

What a babe (Matt in his Lederhosen)

Me in my dirndl

Matt and I were a little apprehensive about joining in the festivities just the two of us because it was super difficult to get inside a tent, where the beer drinking actually happens. With extraordinary luck, my cousin Ben told me to reach out to a friend from high school who lives in Munich and plays for the professional American football team here. I reached out to him on instagram, and he and his wife graciously invited us to join them and their friends on the first Monday of Oktoberfest when they had tent reservations. Matt was not able to get off until 4 PM that day, but I got there at 2 PM and found myself so pleasantly surprised when Ryan (the friend from high school) told me that there were two other Nebraskans there too, who of course were so much fun to party with and reminded me so much of home. He also made sure that I started drinking on a full stomach full of food and ordered Rattlers, which are half beer, half soda. Keep in mind that beer is served only in liters (LITERS) and this actually saved my life haha!

The Nebraskans (click image above for more pics!)

The whole gang before Matt arrived

Inside Schottenhamel Tent

Brief clips of our Oktoberfest experience :)

Needless to say (if you watched the video), we had the best time. We have loved having the opportunity to travel around Europe, but this was definitely our favorite experience thus far. Thank you Ryan and Stephanie for including us and giving us the true Oktoberfest experience! The next day at work was….rough, but we somehow managed and decided to go two more times. The next time we went was much calmer, and we just walked around the fairgrounds and casually drank mixed drinks and ate bratwurst. We went on a Friday and Saturday though, and even though Monday seemed nuts, the crowds were absolutely massive on the weekends. Why Oktoberfest happens where there are carnival rides galore though boggles my mind. I don’t know how anyone could drink liters of beer and proceed to go on the death-defying rides after, but to each their own haha! 

Oktoberfest fairgrounds (not pictured are the terrifying rides)

If Oktoberfest is not on your bucket list, reconsider. The atmosphere alone is buzzing with so much excitement and I assure you, you WILL have a blast. It is definitely nice having the city be way less busy now that it is done, but I miss seeing women wearing dirndls and men wearing lederhosen at work and on the train.

Auf Wiedersehen, friends!

Alexandra

When in Rome

(yes?…continue) - Anchorman

There is something so magical about Rome. For me, I think it is the balance between seeing a vibrant, modern city interspersed with structures that are thousands of years old. The blend of the extraordinarily old with a bustling city is mesmerizing, and I could not wait to take Matt there. Luckily, Rome was our first major weekend trip and we planned the perfect itinerary to expose him to as much of it as possible.

We took a late flight on Friday night and took the airport bus from Fiumicino Airport to central station, and then took the (very interesting) Metro to our AirBnB. We had an amazing host who gave us a ton of recommendations and we loved our space. If you are ever going to Rome, ask me about the AirBnB and the airport shuttle - they were so inexpensive and absolutely perfect for our needs. 

We woke up early on Saturday, excited to start our Roman holiday (yes, a definite Audrey Hepburn reference). We decided to splurge a bit and schedule an actual tour of the Vatican, St. Peter’s Basilica, and the Sistine Chapel. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable, so the whole experience was well worth it. To get to the Sistine Chapel, we went to a courtyard with a beautiful view of the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica and the gardens. Designed by Michelangelo towards the end of his life, it is the largest dome in Rome, and one of the largest in the entire world.

We then walked through (portions of) the Vatican Museum. Thanks largely to Pope Julius II in the 16th century, the Vatican commissioned and collected (sometimes stole or “appropriated” as they like to say) some of the most incredible works of art. Michelangelo and Raphael in particular were responsible for some of the most famous pieces. While the Sistine chapel is famed for the incredible ceiling which depicts scenes from Genesis and “The Last Judgment,” all by Michelangelo, my favorite piece of art is “The School of Athens” by Raphael (see pictured). Unfortunately, it is not possible to take pictures inside the Sistine Chapel (unless you pay HUNDREDS of euros for a morning breakfast tour), but I really recommend googling the art in the Sistine Chapel. Standing there in silence admiring the incredible work and detail, seeing the stories you’ve heard about from the Bible, and realizing this is where the papal conclaves take place is extremely surreal and emotional. For me, this and St. Peter’s Basilica were definitely my favorite parts of the trip.

(click the images to see more pictures, including “The School of Athens” and “The Thinker”)

The tour ended with St. Peter’s Basilica, which is indescribable (but I still will). It is extremely ornate and absolutely massive. Every piece of art in the Basilica is perfection and a reflection of the Vatican’s history, but my favorite sculpture here is the Pieta. Unfortunately, it is enclosed in a glass case after a mentally ill man chiseled at the structure with a hammer, but you can still see the emotion and pain in the piece - it is the Virgin Mary cradling Jesus’s dead body. It was also mesmerizing to see Bernini’s work within the Basilica (the baldacchino and Cathedra Petri). Overall, it was an incredible and highly spiritual morning.

(click the images to see more pictures)

The Pieta

St. Peter’s Square

(click images for more pics of the outside of St. Peter’s Basilica)

After I was done fan-girling the Vatican, it was Matt’s turn to be blown away. In the afternoon, we went to the Colosseum and Palatine Hill, which overlooked the Roman forum. The Colosseum was, at its time, the largest amphitheater in the world and construction finished in 80 AD. Throughout history, it was used for religious purposes, animal hunts, theatrical reenactments of how amazing Ancient Rome was, and most importantly, gladiator fights. While the interior is largely in ruins, preventing it to still be used for gatherings, parts of the outside are still perfectly intact, and it is breathtaking and difficult to grasp how many thousands of people went inside for different spectacles. Our trip to the Colosseum quickly prompted two things for us: 1) Matt had to send a picture to his friends in front of the structure with the caption, “Are you not entertained?!; and 2) we had to rewatch Gladiator as soon as we got home. For Matt, this was his highlight (not the Vatican - what is it with guys?!) 

(click images above for more pics of the Colosseum)

After the Colosseum, we walked up Palatine Hill and had a spectacular view of the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. The Roman Forum is comprised of ruins of several ancient Rome government buildings. This history of Ancient Rome is absolutely fascinating, from the rise of extremely important governmental institutions (the Senate and Republic government) and the twisted history of Caesars and imperialism, overlooking the Forum felt like a trip back in history.  This ended an absolutely perfect first day in Rome.

View from Palatine Hill

(click images above for more pics of the Roman Forum and Colosseum from Palatine Hill)

The goal of our second day in Rome was to “do as the Romans do.” We wanted to walk within the city of Rome and appreciate the culture. We started the day at the Trevi fountain, which of course was crowded with tourists. Still, we threw coins with our right hands over our left shoulders and made wishes and admired how truly massive it is. I am feeling particularly deceived, as I did not immediately become an Italian pop star after throwing mine like Lizzie McGuire did, but I’ll get over it eventually.

(click images above for more pics of the Trevi Fountain)

After the Trevi fountain, we ate amazing homemade pasta and went to the Pantheon. The Pantheon is one of the best preserved buildings of Ancient Rome, and that is largely because it was used throughout history for various purposes. Now, it is used as a Catholic Church and is also the burial site of two kings (and one queen) of Italy and the infamous artist Raphael. We spent the rest of the day walking ALL over Rome, venturing into different piazzas, shopping, and ultimately ended up at my mom and sister’s favorite Roman piazza, Piazza Navona. We ate another amazing Italian meal overlooking the piazza, drank Bellinis, ate gelato (YAS), and watched all of the street entertainers and musicians.

(click images above for more pics of the Pantheon)

(click images above for more pics of Piazza Navona)

(click images above for more pics of beautiful Roma)

Our day of culture was perfect, and capped off an amazing weekend in Rome. Unfortunately, our flight out the next morning was SO early, and we both had to go to work right after we landed, but Rome was so good to us.

Until next time! Ciao!

Alexandra

Salzburg - Dachau - TUM

Hello everyone!

As mentioned in the previous blog post, the first few weeks were pretty stressful trying to get our lives in order, but we still managed to do a couple of day trips! For a breakdown of our timeline: we arrived on Monday, my birthday (spent entirely in bed) was Tuesday, we closed on our apartment on Friday (yay!), went to Salzburg, Austria on Saturday, and moved into our apartment on Sunday. Because I didn’t start work until the next Monday, we had a week to get moved in, explore the area, find a gym and an amazing cafe, and take a tour of Dachau Concentration Camp.

Salzburg, Austria

We really wanted to start traveling as soon as we could, and everyone kept telling us, “traveling in Europe is so cheap - it’ll be so easy to get anywhere!” Well, people lied. Traveling in Europe is very cheap if you plan FAR in advance, but since Salzburg was so close (~3 hours) and on the German regional train (Deutsche Bahn), we totally lucked out and had an amazing, quick day trip!

Stag Party on the train. Note the kitten :)

The train on the way to Salzburg was extremely packed. Matt and I rushed to get the earlier train (even though trains run every few hours to and from Salzburg and Munich) and were completely crowded until we reached Lake Chiemsee. Lake Chiemsee is the biggest lake in Bavaria and beautiful to walk around in the summer, so many people on the train finally exited here and we could sit next to each other for the remainder of the trip. At this stop, a “stag” (bachelor) party came aboard and they were all wearing matching shirts for the horseshoes league they play in (Matt was super jealous - apparently he loves horseshoes?). After conversing with the group for awhile, we found out that the bachelor was required to carry a stuffed kitten with him all through the stag party, and if he lost it at any particular point, he had to buy all of his groomsmen obscene amounts of alcohol at his wedding. I must say, watching a grown man carry around a tiny stuffed kitten all day was hilarious and we could not stop laughing every time we looked at him. The views from the train were beautiful as well, but beautiful because they reminded us so much of home.

So after a few hours on the train, we arrived in Salzburg! Thanks to Matthew googling the perfect one-day itinerary, we went to Mirabell Palace and Gardens, Getreidegasse (a shopping street where Mozart happened to be born), Altstadt (Old Town area), Salzburg Cathedral, St. Peter’s Abbey, and Hohensalzburg Fortress. It was a LOT of walking, but everything was so picturesque and bucolic. We definitely loved the Mirabell gardens, and clearly so did many other people because it was packed and there were a few weddings taking place. We also loved walking through Alstadt, which is where we saw the Cathedral and St. Peter’s Abbey. There are many breathtaking cathedrals throughout Europe, but this one was a pleasant surprise. The gothic architecture and the huge domes were stunning - and also going inside to somewhere with cool air for a bit was also much needed haha! Getting up to Hohensalzburg was certainly an adventure - we took the funicular, which went surprisingly fast. The view from the top was SO worth it. I’m sure Matt was annoyed that I kept singing, “The Hills are Alive” from Sound of Music, but trust me, THEY WERE. 

Mirabell Palace and Gardens (click the image for more pics!)

Alstadt + Salzburg Cathedral (click the image for more pics!)

View from Hohensalzburg Fortress

St. Peter’s Abbey and Hohensalzburg Fortress (click to see more)

Overall, we really enjoyed Salzburg. We really wanted to see the salt caves, but we could not have accomplished all that we did within a day if we did that. If you ever come to Munich to visit, I highly recommend a quick day trip to Salzburg. You will not regret it!

Dachau Concentration Camp

The big blocks are where the other “houses” were located - they only have one of the barracks up now, which was reconstructed for visualization purposes

During the week before I started work, we decided to do a day tour of Dachau Concentration Camp. Interestingly, Dachau was one of the first concentration camps, but it did not house many of the captured Jewish people. The Jewish people were sent in mass numbers to extermination camps (such as Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland). Dachau was comprised primarily of political prisoners, homosexuals, Jehovah’s witnesses, and other abused dissenters within Nazi-Germany. It is never easy to go to a place where the worst of humanity existed, but it was a powerful and eye-opening experience for us both. 

The Unknown Prisoner: (roughly translated to) “To Honor the Dead, to Warn the Living” - this is a particularly powerful tribute as the man depicted here is doing everything against the Nazi’s orders. His hands are in his pockets, he is not averting his gaze downwards, and he is not standing up straight with his feet together. This is located right outside the crematorium at Dachau.

TUM

Finally, on September 1, I started work! It takes me about 20 minutes by walking and public transportation to get to work, and we are located near Olympia Park. I share my office with two other people, and on clear days, I have a view of the Alps :) I have truly loved continuing my doctoral work here and cannot wait to start teaching in the middle of October when the semester starts.

This was a LONG post, but we have already done so much together. Until next time!

Love, Alexandra

Moving to Munich (Meownich)

Hello everyone! Even though we’ve been here for 5 weeks now (which has seriously flown by), moving in was an insane process that I would be fine not experiencing again :)

The most stressful part about moving to a different country was moving with our cats, Harry and Luna. They scream meow every time we get in a car, so we knew flying would be rough. We talked to our vets several times about what our best course of action would be, and they suggested trying kitty xanax. It seemed to work pretty well during the week before, but BOY WERE WE INADEQUATELY PREPARED. 

First, our flight was supposed to leave on August 17. My incredible mother, who helped with every aspect of the move, thought it best to not have a long layover in Chicago - she had her grand kittens best interests at heart. However, with Lincoln airport being Lincoln airport, our flight got so delayed that we would have missed our connection in Chicago. We ultimately had to stay an extra night in Lincoln and try the same pattern of flights the next day, though we did switch to an earlier Chicago flight to have more of a layover in case of delays. This was super anticlimactic, but it gave us a chance to really sleep and relax, which we had not done in weeks preparing for the move.

So round 2 - we get back to the Lincoln airport, and the cats are pretty anxious because they had started this process yesterday. Of course our flight gets delayed 3 hours again and Luna has a meltdown in the airport. Luckily, she stopped when we got on our flight. I really wish that was what actually happened, but I’m lying. We again got delayed once we boarded the tiny 20 person flight to Chicago. To recap, we were stuck in the smallest aircraft ever for over an hour before the flight took off with an absolutely devastated, screaming kitten. PSA: do not judge parents of screaming children (or cat children). It was the most stressful experience for all of us. Once we got on the longer flight to Munich though, the cats did MUCH better. They slept for the first 5 or so hours, and were a little fussy the rest of the way, but it was much less noticeable. 

Finally we arrived in Munich. It was 9:00 AM and we were absolutely exhausted, physically and emotionally. Dr. Koehler (my advisor) picked us all up from the airport, after the easiest customs process I’ve ever experienced, and took us to our AirBnB. The kitties finally fully relaxed and we could breathe. Oh wait, I now got super sick (poor Matt). It was most likely from all of the stress, but I could not sleep or eat and I was constantly nauseous. This would not have been a big deal if I had a little space to myself, but our AirBnB was one tiny room without a toilet. It was rough. I was about to turn 29 the next day (which is already not the best birthday), I was so sick and stressed about finding an apartment with all our requirements, and we were NOT close to Munich. We were, in fact, in European Nebraska (see pictures - a TON of farms). This was certainly my lowest point. I called my mom sobbing on my birthday, wondering if I made a huge mistake that I dragged Matt and the kittens into. Being the amazing woman she is, she calmed me down and told me to take everything one step at a time.

And now the story gets good! With insane luck, Matt and I found the most incredible apartment in the middle of Munich within a week. It takes people months here to find a place, and we moved in 7 days after our arrival to a completely furnished place, so saying we were lucky is a huge understatement. Weirdly, I finally was no longer sick :)

Matt and I got a chance to explore some amazing parts of Munich and embrace living in a big city for the first time. If you’re wondering, Munich is absolutely incredible - it is clean, safe, and vibrant. Living here now feels like a dream (albeit, a very loud one with Oktoberfest going on right now haha!). Thus far, we have loved walking around Marienplatz, visiting incredible museums (sorta), and watching Bayern Munich play at pubs. We also love taking advantage of traveling on weekends when Matt is not working as a cook at an American Breakfast place :)

Walking around Marienplatz

Breweries and Pubs galore

Alte Pinakothek

Staatliches Museum Ägyptischer Kunst (Egyptian Museum)

The kittens’ new home :)

While much more has happened, there will be more posts to detail our adventures to Salzburg, Austria and Dachau Concentration Camp, which we went to in our first two weeks of living in Munich. But for now, rest assured, we are healthy, secure, and so happy. Until next time, friends!

Love,

Alexandra and Matthew (and Harry and Luna)

They’re settling in quite well now (Harry is on the left, Luna is on the right)

LINCOLN, NEBRASKA TO MUNICH, GERMANY

Hello everyone! Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to stop by my website and read this blog post. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Alexandra Martin, and I’m a third year doctoral student in Health and Human Sciences. Last October (2018), my advisor asked me into his office for our regular weekly meetings, but his tone seemed  ominous immediately. Sure enough, he informed me that he accepted his dream position at the Technical University of Munich in Munich, Germany. Though my first reaction was panic at what I was going to do, he quickly extended a position for me to follow him or stay at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and switch advisors/research agendas, where I had been in some capacity for nearly a decade. 

Deciding whether or not to move to Germany was a huge decision that required careful rumination and serious thought - so naturally I decided I wanted to move within two days. After broaching the subject with my then-boyfriend, and now-fiancee, I told him that he should take a considerable amount of time to think about his options, which were as followed: 1) long-distance relationship (which we had done successfully before); 2) move to Germany together and figure it out along the way; and 3) end our relationship as dear friends. While the third option was admittedly terrifying to propose, moving to Germany felt so inherently right for me that I was willing to do whatever it took to see this dream come to fruition. 

I’m sure I will mention it frequently over the next year, but getting your PhD, and graduate school generally, is brutal and soul-crushing at times. Every student I interact with on a daily basis has made tremendous sacrifices for the pursuit of knowledge, and when finally faced with a huge, life-changing decision, I knew that I would sacrifice anything to finish my education. To my great happiness, and within about a week, Matthew (sweet baby Matthew aka my fiancee) jumped at the opportunity to move to Germany together, and we slowly told friends and family about our move and embraced this whole experience as a beautiful adventure to grow from. 

With that said, the goal over the next year is to fully immerse ourselves in European culture and experience as much as we can. We want to travel as frequently as possible, eat the most amazing street food, and honor the incredible structures and stories that are in abundance all over Europe. The purpose of this blog, for now, is to document this adventure. This next year proves to be invigorating and inspiring, but also tremendously challenging and stimulating in terms of writing a dissertation and living in a different country for the first time.

So join us. Tell us where we absolutely must go in Europe and what we absolutely must do. Have you been to a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that will forever be implanted in your mind? Did you stay at an incredible AirBnB that you can recommend? Though we will be very far away from Nebraska and “the good life,” let’s stay close.