Day ONE: We meet in Munich...

Day One-Saturday: Munich, Germany

Hello everyone!

Willie and I have embarked on another summer travel vacation through Go-Ahead Tours, this year to Italy...but we are making a few stops first on our own in Germany and Austria.

And the great news is Bill decided to join us this year and we welcomed him with open arms!  He left LA a week early to hike through the Alps in Zermatt, Switzerland. He stayed in a glorious hotel called Monte Cervin, and just happened to be there on his #62nd birthday.  The photos he sent back to us were amazingly beautiful, and made me want to add Switzerland to my "bucket list".

The countryside outside Zermatt is right out of "Heidi" !

 One of the mountains he climbed was Rieffelhorn, which is 9600 feet...a mere pittance for The Mountain Man!

Willie and I in the meantime got our workouts in before the long plane ride to Europe.  Here we are on the trail in beautiful Will Rogers (thanks Donna for the photo!)

Our flight to Munich, Germany was uneventful (the best kind of flight). Since it left at 9:00pm and I had stayed up the night before until the wee hours of the morning trying to get organized, pack, make lists, change lists, try to find where I put the lists.... I was a zombie upon stepping on the airplane.  As soon as take-off occurred I lowered my seat, put on my eye cover, and zzzzz.....  When I woke up 5 hours later somewhere over NYC, Willie informed me that he hadn't slept a wink!  I shifted over to my other side and zzz.... When I woke up a 5 hours later somewhere over Amsterdam, I heard Willie's cheery voice from the flight attendent's cabin.  He had been "entertaining and regaling them with tales" for quite some time I'm told. When the pilot announced our descent, I glanced over at Willie and he was finally zzz...

This visit to Munich we are staying at The Charles, a wonderful hotel right across from a small botanical garden and close by but not too close by all the action in Merianplatz. There is a long and laborious story about how our original hotel was totally a disaster - broken phone, broken AC, room service menus in an unrecognizable language, sketchy surroundings outside across from the train station... - but I will not bore you with the details.  Let's just say our outstanding travel agent and dollie face painter Laura Schy came to the rescue once again, and we are very happy at The Charles, in adjoining rooms with an amazing view!

 When in Munich do what the Munich folks do and go to a Beer Garden!  For dinner, Bill took us to one of the oldest (424 years) and best - Hofbrauhaus. When we first entered, Willie surveyed the scene and proclaimed, "What kinda place IS this? People are smoking, people are drinking, people are singing at the top of their lungs and dancing...I'm not eating here!" to which we replied, "YES, isn't it GREAT?!"  Who was the kid and who were the grownups? hahaha  It didn't take long before Willie was enjoying the festive atmosphere, and the roast chicken and meatloaf helped.

Afterwards we went outside where on a Saturday night it was mayhem and chaos and dancing in the streets.  We HAD to join in!

Off to bed...I hope Willie gets some sleep tonight!