Crocodiles are scary...and so is Miami.

Arriving in South Beach around dinner time the Friday before Katie and Will's wedding, my parents and I decided to grab some food near our hotel. Luckily our hotel, the Royal Palm Resort, is located in the thick of things (and about a 30 second walk from the beach). We had heard good reviews about the restaurants on Ocean Drive and decided to head that way.

"Ahhh!" I screamed as a man holding a crocodile rushed toward me during our walking quest for food.

Watching the crocodile's snapping jaws chomp up and down towards my face, I managed to push my mom off the sidewalk and make her lose a shoe in the process of trying not to get eaten alive at such a young age.

As it turns out (thank goodness!), the crocodile was made of plastic and no one lost any limbs. Instead, our first Miami adventure ended in a big burst of laughter.

That aside, traveling from Munich to Miami was the craziest reverse culture shock I have ever experienced. Munich is clean, quiet, somewhat gray, and everything closes at 8:00pm. Reversely, from the loud boom-boom clubs to the colorful art deco architecture (and pretty much everything in between), Miami is quite the opposite of all that is Munich:

Ocean Drive, Take 1

Ocean Drive, Take 2

For a blogger, Miami provides so much material: rollerblading conventions for hundreds of middle-aged skaters, flocks of picture-taking tourists snapping shots of the sand, a topless sunbather massaging her lover on the beach in the midday heat, and lots old people acting silly. (I think I brought the average age our flight's passengers down by decades).

Upon my arrival to Miami, because of my culture shock, I had a little trouble handling the noise, the lights, and the under-dressed party-goers. To say the least, I was a bit overwhelmed. However, after a day in the 78 degree sun...in the middle of February...I began to learn the appeal of South Beach:

The Beach Outside of the Royal Palm Resort
(When I first walked out on the beach, I was with Katie and she said, "This is where I live." At that point, I was jealous.)

I. Love. Palm Trees.

After a beautiful wedding weekend, I was definitely not ready to leave the place where there's always a "party in the city where the heat is on." I would trade snow for sand any day. Yet, maybe somewhere just a little quieter...

Überraschung!

Überraschung is one of my absolute favorite German words. It means surprise. It's fun to say in a slight sing-song tone. I also really like the word genau, which means exactly. Genaaauuuu! I remember obsessing over these words when we first moved to Germany. Hearing them always made me smile...and act like an immature child, mimickly repeating them over and over again.

I'm not really sure where this story is going. I guess I am trying to say that there are a lot of fun and crazy things to discover about this culture. Zum beispiel, no one keeps their dogs on leashes. Also, dogs here hardly ever bark. Oh! And most people have dog insurance incase their dogs cause an accident.

I hope you can come learn about some of these things yourself. However, before you do, the time has come to reveal the number one reason of the Top 10 Reasons to Visit Munich:

#1: Us!

At a Costume Birthday Party
(Winter 2009)

Just joking! (Kind of.)

In all reality, as you can see from the previous nine posts, there are many reasons to visit Munich. Yet, my favorite things about Munich may not necessarily be yours. The best way to determine your own "Top 10" list about any place is to observe and experience it for yourself. Please feel free to visit us. We would be happy to have you!

Bier und Brezeln

#2 Bier und Brezeln

I wish I could hand you a fresh German pretzel through the screen of your computer. Mmmm...the salty and hard (but not too hard) crust and perfectly soft inside dough make a delicious combination. I like my pretzels slathered with a little butter (German style) or with a bit of nutella for a sweet treat:

A Homemade Brezel
(Andechs, Fall 2009)

Maybe you're thinking that you've had delicious pretzels before. I know there is a supply of them at Auntie Anne's, but trust me, there is NO COMPARISON.

And, what goes better with a good brezel than a cold brew?

In a city that has two several-week-long festivals dedicated solely to beer (Oktoberfest and Starkbierzeit) and a half liter is considered a "small beer," it is hard to find better local beer elsewhere. Even monks in the Munich area dedicate their time to perfecting the brewing craft at Andechs:

Steve with a Fresh-Brewed Andechs Beer
(Andechs, Fall 2009)

To me, the best (and most fun) way to experience German/Bavarian/Munich culture is with a beer in one hand and a pretzel in the other.

Bibbity Bobbity Boo

Happy Valentine's Day! This morning, my Valentine made me an amazing Überraschungs breakfast consisting of lovely heart-shaped biscuits:

Valentine's Day Breakfast

Steve's Famous Biscuits...Valentine-Style

Yum!

Other than that, we are spending a lot of time together before we part ways for our respective month-long trips tomorrow. So hurriedly, here is reason number three of the Top 10 Reasons to Visit Munich.

#3: Castles

Is a caption really necessary here?

Many little girls fantasize about princess-hood, wearing big, beautiful gowns, living in a large palace and falling in love with prince charming...just like Cinderella. Tomboys read the Alanna books (which I highly recommend) and dream of learning magic during the Middle Ages while fighting tough battles in a man's world. Boys imagine themselves as heroes, riding their bikes up and down the block with plastic swords strapped tightly to their backs, yelling, "I have the power!" (Stories from Steve's mom inspired this last example.)

No matter how you played pretend growing-up, it is impossible to not be impressed by Germany's many castles. There are six official State castles in Munich alone, and hundreds of others advertised by the Bavarian Castle and Gardens Authority:

Schloss Nymphenburg

Schloss Nymphenburg

Schloss Nymphenburg

I could even commit a whole blog post to Neuschwanstein, the model for Disney's famous Sleeping Beauty Castle. Oh wait! I did: Castles and Cultural Differences. Really though, the castles in Germany are incredible, and at the same time, leave so much to the imagination. Come visit to relive your childhood dreams and discover the "Magic of Germany."

Wir Haben Hunger!

After a lovely day of eating delicious homemade scones for breakfast (no baking disasters this time!), swimming in a 108 year old pool (an experience in and of itself), relaxing with some Banananweißen cocktails (sounds skeptical, but tastes super), and watching some ski-jumping Olympians fly off a steep slope on Whistler (via the Deutsch Olympic broadcast), I am now ready to announce number four of the Top 10 Reasons to Visit Munich:

#4: Käsespätzle

If you haven't gathered from many of my previous blog posts: I. Love. Food. Just ask my maid- of-honor, Beth. Once, we got in a silly tiff over a misunderstanding that started with me claiming her taste buds were bland. Needless to say, Beth now eats sushi...and likes it.

However, despite my love of adventurous eating, my all time favorite food happens to be a good 'ole comfort food: home-baked macaroni and cheese. YUM!

Steve won my heart when he made me the German equivalent of macaroni and cheese: käsespätzle. Käsespätzle is like a grown-up version of mac 'n cheese; yet, the base of homemade egg noodles is mixed with Emmentaler and Gruyere cheeses and then browned for a few minutes under a broiler. Sautéed onions are added on top for gooey, melty, perfection.

I may have to reconsider my favorite food:

Käsespätzle
(Sendlinger Augustiner Restaurant)

P.S. Click here for a käsespätzle recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Kaese-Spaetzle/Detail.aspx. However, come visit us in Germany to experience the best you can get!

Alpine Adventures

I can't believe that we are already counting down the fifth reason of the Top 10 Reasons to Visit Munich. Time is really flying, which means that my trip to the States is rapidly approaching. On Wednesday, I depart Munich for my second of two trips back to the US, signifying that half of our time in Munich is behind us and the beginning of Katie's time as a married woman will commence in one week (congratulations Katie and Will!). So, without further ado:

#5: the Alps

If you know me, you know that I LOVE the mountains. Hardcore camping and hiking are my favorite past times. Leading five-day leave-no-trace backpacking trips for OSRUI during my college summers, I used to hold competitions with my campers to see who could make it back to camp the stinkiest. Very lady-like, I know.

If I had to choose between a mountain or beach vacation, I would run for the hills. However, now living through this snowy Munich winter, as much as I like the mountains, I might consider migrating South for winter. Oops! I'm supposed to be convincing you to come visit.

In all seriousness, Munich's easy access to the Alps is fantastic. There is skiing and snowboarding in the Alps like none I have ever seen before. Even though as a little girl I only skied at Paoli Peaks...in Indiana, I am a good judge of decent skiing conditions. I swear! After college, I braved snowboarding in the mountains of Washington, Vermont, and North Carolina, which all pale in comparison to the Alps:

The Alps, Switzerland

And, if skiing and snow boarding aren't your thing, there's always extreme Alpine sledding:

Steve Sledding
(The Alps, Switzerland)

Plus, many ski resorts in the Alps have huts on top of the mountain where you can enjoy hot chocolate while sunbathing:

Kim Sunbathing on Top of the Mountain in Grindewald
(The Alps, Switzerland)

Me and the North Face of the Eiger
(The Alps, Switzerland)

The Alps are also fantastic for adventures in the spring, summer, and fall. There are thousands of hikes from Austria to France and in between. It is easy to take a day trip or wander much longer:

On a Hike in Fall
(Foothills of the Alps, Germany)

On a Hike in Fall
(Foothills of the Alps, Germany)

Hiking from hut to hut is a popular summer activity amongst Europeans and something that Steve and I are really looking forward to trying in the warmer summer months. Huts offer bed, breakfast, and beer, making it einfacher to pack and a fun way to meet people along your walk. This year, we are looking into hikes in Berchtesgaden National Park in Germany and on the Walkers' Haute Route in France and Switzerland. Let us know if you want to come along. Auf geht's!