Munich

Hallo zusammen! Bonjour tout le monde! Why the greeting in German also? I am in Munich this week with my best friend. I have been to Berlin twice, and have enjoyed some of the countryside, however I hadn't yet been to Munich. It is a very cool city with lots of history for a city that only dates back to the 9th century.

Today was my first full day; we walked to the Marienplatz and saw the glockenspiel do its thing. The clock strikes the hour, then the little figures start moving. There are two levels, one represents a wedding, and the other one has dancers, who twirl about as the mechanism flows in a clockwise direction. The wedding scene then starts; it has figurines that go in two directions (on two tracks). There is a joust involved, and when the knights meet a second time, one wins as the other knight falls back on his horse! He represents Bavaria and always wins. Munich is an interesting city. There are three ways to get around on public transport, and almost everyone else seems to have a bicycle. I have seen most of the main places on a hop on hop off bus tour, then Wednesday we went to the Bavarian Museum. It had an entire floor of nativity scenes with figurines that were carefully created to not only represent the holy family, but also the three Magi (along with their retinues). There were also scenes and figurines from Naples; it was fascinating!

the glockenspiel

pretzels hang at your table!

a Maypole, they are everywhere!

Catalunya

Bonjour tout le monde!
Where in the world is Catalunya?  It is in the northeastern part of Spain, also known as Catalonia.  The capital of the autonomous region is Barcelona. This region used to be a principality with its own laws and parlementary system.  Catalan lost the war of Spanish Succession, and in subsequent years found its culture and languages supressed by the Spanish government.
Currently, the Catalonia region is once again autonomous; the catalan language is everywhere as is Spanish.  Catalan is even taught in the schools, they tell me.  Although the Catalan region has a great deal of independence from the Spanish government, the Catalan are pushing for more independence, and there is even talk of succession from Spain.
In the meantime, let's enjoy the capital of this wonderful region.  Barcelona is a beautiful and vibrant city.  Along with its suburbs, more than four million people live in the area, of which 1.7 million live within Barcelona's city limits.
There is plenty to see, do, and eat in Barcelona.  One of the most famous markets is located on the Rambla, however, it has existed in the city since the early 13th century, when the first settlement was documented.
My favorite thing to do in Barcelona is eat.  There are places to eat tapas everywhere, and of course you have to wash it down with sangria.  The last time I was there, a friend of mine was on a mission to find the best sangria in town.  Have we succeeded?  No...there are always more tapas and sangria to try.
Want culture and history?  Antoni Gaudi was the architect of the Sagrada Familia (the Sacred Family) among other buildings in the city.  You can spend an entire day at each of his creations, but the Sagrada Familia is the best and biggest. It is still unfinished - 2026, the 100th year celebration of Gaudi's death,  is now the projected finish date.

I love most visiting Barcelona in the summer, when dinner can be at 11 pm on one of the many Ramblas in the city, and the weather is just right.  You can not only see all the Gaudi buildings, but you can also see many of the sports venues of the 1992 Olympics in the Montjuic area.
So, why Catalunya?  I say why not?  The region is Spanish, but not Spanish; the culture and architecture is amazing, as is the food!  You can stop there on one of the many cruise ships, but be sure to spend a few extra days to in search of the best tapas and sangria. Let me know when you find it!

Lobster by the beach

Parc Guell