Story: Brian’s hunger hallucinations
We were both super duper hungry by dinner time in Copenhagen because we hadn’t eaten very much all day. While walking down a busy shopping street Brian excitedly exclaimed, “oooo! oh… I thought it was a bagel, but it was just a sock.” He was referring to shoe store that we had just passed.

1.Walking sticks really help! It’s not just a placebo effect. Brian and I think maybe it absorbs some of the shock? Who knows. It definitely helps with distributing some of the strain to your upper body so it’s not all on your legs to get you up and down the hills. Shape of walking stick is also something to look for (see picture on this subject). And instead of paying 9 euro for a walking stick (even though it was very tempting and it had a compass on the top….) you can pick one up from the trail!
2.If the locals say the hike is about 1 hour, expect it to take longer. Twice to two and a half times longer. You will get distracted by pretty scenery, you will take pictures, and the locals are probably in better shape than you.
3.Having a buddy to keep pace with really helps in getting your mind off from the hills and the trail. Here, walking sticks are not only useful in walking, but also in helping you establish some sort of a pace. We made it back in less than an hour despite being so tired! That was quite the feat.

1.We arrived on a Sunday. Everything is closed! Maybe this is indicative of the Monastery history of Munich (Munich is, after all, named after the German word for Monk in Old German (if I remember correctly): Munichen. The Germans now call Munich “Munchen”). Only eateries are open, so it’s probably a good idea to get all the food related activities over with if you have nothing to do on a Sunday. We went tried Pretzels and Sausages and went to the Hofbrauhaus.
2.Eat a sausage! It’s very good. It tastes a lot better than what you might get in the States! I have seen people just walking around and eating a sausage. They have many “fast food” type stores that just sell varieties of sausages and hams. I asked for a sausage and they automatically asked if I wanted it with bread, and I said, “sure!” and they cut the bread and gave me a hot dog. Try to ask for Sauerkraut in the beginning of your order so they can let it heat up in the oven while they prepare the rest of your order. The first time I ordered from a “fast food” place, I think I annoyed lady by asking for sauerkraut after she had already finished everything else. Some sausage varieties are quite salty, though…(next tip…)
3.Be careful when you ask for water at a restaurant. They might give you fancy mineral water. This happened when we got a sausage sampler plate our first day in Munich. We were still parched afterwards! (see post on our search for fluids) Unknown to us, water from the tap is completely drinkable. The Hotel Jeddermann receptionist said that everyone in Munich drinks it. At a restaurant, the word for tap water is pronounced “Lightons vassa.” Don’t ask me how to spell that in German. We learned this from the bike tour guide. He is Hawaiian but speaks German Just ask the waiter for “lightons vassa” and he will bring you a delicious glass of cold tap water. Free. This tip is particularly useful. Otherwise Brian and I might be dehydrated after the first day!
4.For bike tours, make sure you bring gloves! Even though it’s April, it’s still very cold! The bike tour guide told us that it’s not usually that cold, but always be prepared! If you’re stuck and you can’t find any gloves for less than 50 euro, walk towards Karlsplatz on the main street. You’ll see a discount corner store on the left (when you’re walking away from the main Marienplatz). Buy gloves for 2 euro here! And whatever you might find useful Scarves are sold readily by newsstands with tourist gear. 15 Euro. They just might have “Deustchland” written everywhere. And be careful about buying a scarf that has the soccer/football emblem for an opposing team. They’re pretty serious about that kind of thing… ^_~
5.Free walking tours: Even in London, (and unfortunately, we missed the one for Bath), Brian and I have found walking tours to be the best way to explore a city. Bike tours are nice because you get to go to farther places, but you really speed by a lot of things and the guides aren’t as detailed with the history and information. It’s also difficult to take pictures while on a bike. There is a free tour for Munich available, operated by NewEurope (tip courtesy of Karen Cheng). They meet at 10:45AM everyday, rain or shine, all year, by Mary’s pole in Marienplatz. (the big pole with the four cherubs killing various enemies of the church). Our tour guide was Meghan! She was great. Lots of historical information, and fun too! NewEurope has tours for London, Berlin, Amsterdam, and some other cities. Check their website! You pay on a tips only basis.
6.Cell phones in the European Union: The O2 phone that we had from the UK now charges 35 Pence per minute to calls within Europe and (after experimentation) 3 USDollars a minute to call the US! Don’t do it!! Try to find an Internet Cafe. The New Europe tour suggested one that had 5 cents per minute international calls, but we didn’t have a chance to go before we had to head to Fussen. The O2 in Germany didn’t have the nice free international calling perk that the one in the UK had, so we didn’t get another O2 card. Also, you had to pay 30 Euro to get a 40euro bonus. If you paid a lower denomination, you wouldn’t get any bonus. This is in addition to a (I think…) 20 Euro fee for the SIM card. We checked Vodafone, and they had 19.90 Euro for SIM packet with a 10Euro credit, so we got this. It’s about 90 Euro cents to call other countries in the EU, 20-30 euro cents to call within the country, free to receive, and about 1.90 Euro to call the US. The rates change relative to the country that you are physically in, so you can theoretically buy a card in Germany and have the same rates apply when you are in Italy. Theoretically Unfortunately, my phone did not get any Vodafone reception when we were in Fussen or St. Goar. This might be because the SIM card was improperly activated, but it could also be that Vodafone doesn’t have as good reception as O2. We wound up using our O2 card in these places. We’ll see if Vodafone still has a problem when we’re in Berlin.
7.Do not do the high Hitler Salute! It is illegal and you might get arrested!!! This is probably true for all of Germany as well. Nuff said.

We know how a Cow feels
In Berlin Amy and I thought it would be nice to see Reichstag at night. Our guide book suggested that visiting at night would also allow us to avoid crowds. So we went and the line was slightly shorter than during the day, but a worker came by and told us that we should be aware that they are only allowing two more groups of people in before they close entry. We had nothing else to do that night so we decided to wait.

They began to let in the first group. We moved up the line, but no chance of entering. We did move up about halfway though, and so we though perhaps we can make it for the last entry!

Several minutes of nervous waiting goes by before they let the last group enter. The line is not very orderly and people slide in front of us, but Amy thinks to herself, “I am smaller than Brian so I can wiggle my way into the building and then I will be able to pull Brian in”

I struggled to keep close to Amy, but even with my highly developed crowd navigation skills I just was not able to fit through the small chinks and holes of this human river of people.

We fight and fight and finally I am steps away from the glass door. Before that I had wondered how they were counting the people. That is when I realize that we are actually not entering the building but entering a glass cage. This class room was their measuring cup for tourists. People bagan to push and shove, and with a final wave of people I washed into the glass cage. Amy a few people in front of me.

Then they began to close the doors. The group of people behind us began to shout that someone from their party is right behind the gaurd and if they could let them in as well. There are no exceptions made for the human measuring cup. So it seems like Amy’s “pull Brian into the building” plan would not have worked!

We walk down, past the church, and we are very confused, doesn’t a train need train tracks? But no, not this one. This one is a Mercedes Benz Tractor pulled train. Oh yes. With Lusty Music.
We walk up to the front,
Amy: Hello? This is the train up to St. Goar’s castle?
Man: Maybe?
Amy: ????
Man: How did you get my number?
Brian (lifts up his Rick Steves’ Book): Rick Steves’
Man: That book is great, It’s like the bible. He has my number in there??
Brian: (flips through pages) Here!
Man: (takes the book) Yep, that’s my number. (admires the tabs (Brian added these and he is constantly saying how they’re awesome) Man gives it back to Brian)
We get on the Tschu Tschu Train and have the ride of our lives through the tiny streets of St. Goar, in full view of all the locals. If you think seeing people on a carriage ride is ridiculous, imagine seeing two people on a two car Tschu Tschu train going through a pedestrian zone. Yeah. That was us.

[Show as slideshow]

Elaborated Bathroom Story with Mimi
me: I went out once to go push the door and then looked under and I didn’t see a light and I was really confused so i went back into the room and then I said “the bathroom is being used” and then I waited for like five minutes and went back out and I tried again, this time, more forcefully (I’ve had an experience when I just didn’t push the door hard enough and I was waiting outside, thinking it was a one stall bathroom… but it was really a multiple stall… and I just couldn’t open the door. I must have looked really ridiculous just standing out there waiting) but anyway, it didn’t open and I went back to the room and Brian was like “is the light on?”
“I dunno… I couldn’t’ see anything…”
“did you try knocking?”
“No… I didn’t want to rush them…”
and then he goes and tries
and he comes back and he says “I don’t know what you’re talking about Amy… the door was wide open”
“oh……. OH NO!! I think I was pushing on the wrong door!!!”
“oh man, some little kid in there must be so scared…”

there you have it, the full details

We realized after they left that it must have been really funny when Amy responded “Pinwagen” considering how they were asking us where we came from and neither of us spoke German.