Alphonse Mucha

Prague was one of the highlights of the trip for me so I’d like to share more of what we saw and experienced. we visited the Alphonse Mucha Museum and though it was small, we enjoyed it very much. I love art nouveau and always find inspiration in it when I’m researching for work. it’s a small Museum but there is quite a lot to look at.

the rest of our stay consisted of a lot of walking, eating, drinking, and embedding experiences into our memories. having photographic evidence helps a lot with that.

Prague!

ah, Prague had been on my bucket list of places to be and I can now cross it off the list. there were tons of tourists but for some reason, it didn’t bother me as much. the Czech Republic is a really beautiful country as we had seen on the train ride over from Munich. I would love to go back and visit the outskirts or Prague, or even to Pilsen or another big city there. we ate so much goulash and trdlnik that it made up for all the walking we took on this trip so far. there are several medieval style taverns you can go to that really brings you back to the time. U Pavouka was in a basement-like location that we stumbled upon just walking around the city center. there is also U Krále Brabantského which is more touristy and they actually slam the drinks on your table. I guess it’s what they used to do back in the day. it kinda rattles you a bit because it’s dark and cozy and then someone slams your table with a pint of pilsner. fun fact, did you know the pilsner was invented in the Czech Republic? also, in most places there, you can get them for 2 euros.

we stayed in Prague for about 3.5 days so we covered a lot by walking, which lead to some bad foot pains and visits to shoe stores to find geriatric shoes. really, what we should have done is take advantage of public transportation, even if it means not seeing as much of the city as you would if you walked. you live, you learn.

Dachau

we’ve made an intention that when we vacation, that we at least educate ourselves as well. I know that walking the walls of a medieval town, you come across historical information which can be educational, but we also don’t want to push aside historical events that shape the present day, and as a reminder that horrible things happened and are still happening, and that we all have to be better to each other.

we visited Dachau on our way back to Munich from the Black Forest and it was something of an eerie feeling, something melancholy that twists your stomach to know and be in the same ground that so many lives walked on that are no longer with us, or that didn’t even have a chance, that you can stand in front of bunks and ovens where people suffered and were killed. I can’t quite put into words the feeling, perhaps because I’m too scared to, or maybe because there are no words that describe it.

Freiburg im Breisgau

when we were researching towns we wanted to visit, Freiburg was amongst them that seemed interesting. it is a university town that is known for its bike-friendly, bike-priority environment. it’s another quaint little town that we didn’t really get to explore and see much of, but we made due with our time there. it was also the first (and only) time we had Black Forest Cake. I don’t think Gordon and I are huge fans, but you gotta try German cake in Germany once in your life! when we entered the town square, there was a farmer’s market which was cute. we also went to the Augustiner Museum, the highlight of our visit. they have artifacts of tall stone sculptures from the Freiburg Cathedral and a room with the biggest pipe organ I have ever seen. on Sundays, someone comes in and plays tunes at noon.

in the Black Forest in Germany

we rented a car to drive from Munich to the Black Forest and the autobahn was well worth it, but I also highly disliked driving outside of the autobahn. speed limits are taken seriously in Germany and outside of the autobahn, speed limits can vary greatly and it changes very frequently and it was really annoying trying to keep up with the changes and making sure you don’t get caught by the speed radar. we ended up getting a speeding ticket in Freiburg, so you’ve got to be careful when driving through Germany.

all that aside, we still enjoyed having the car and the freedom it gave us to be able to see what we wanted at our own pace as well as the scenery you wouldn’t normally see riding on a train. I will, however, take the train next time I visit the Black Forest : )

Triberg was on our itinerary to see the waterfalls, and though half of the hike was closed due to weather, we still enjoyed our short time there. we also visited the Black Forest Museum as the waterfall ticket includes admission to the museum. Triberg is a quaint, cute little town.

we also drove out to see the remains of Klosterruine Allerheiligen (All Saints’ Abbey), a church that caught fire twice and then struck by lightning, leaving it to its ruins. we also did a short hike through the Allerheiligen waterfalls.

stuub Hinterzarten

just a quick note to add that we stayed at stuub Hinterzarten in the Black Forest. it’s pretty central to the places we wanted to get to and the train stop is about 20 mins walking distance away. it does help to have your own car to maximize time, but taking the train wouldn’t be bad either.

I have to give props to stuub Hinterzarten because they treated us really well. breakfast is included with your stay and there is a laundry facility, a sauna, and other rooms you can hang out in to take phone calls or have meetings. there were not a lot of occupants and on our last day there, Gordon and I were the only ones left and the caretaker, Yvonne, treated us like royalty. she prepared breakfast for us and made sure we felt comfortable. she set up the table with the best view and it was the best ending to our stay in the Black Forest. I would 100% stay with stuub again! they have several locations in the Black Forest and you can find their site here. no, this is not a paid ad. we genuinely had a great time staying with them!

Riquewihr

are you sick of looking at half-timbered houses yet? well, hold on to your butts because it doesn’t end here.

Riquewihr was our last visit in Alsace. another charming medieval town that we loved. we walked around the village wall, as we did in Eguisheim, and it brings you back to how life was like back in the day. it was starting to get really cold and had been sprinkling off and on and the sun had disappeared so we tried to take advantage of the time we had left. we enjoyed the lack of tourists here, but it did feel a bit melancholy.

Colmar

we visited Colmar next. it was quite bigger than Eguisheim, kind of like Strasbourg. the first Christmas Market we went to was Strasbourg and from then on, we were hooked and planned on going to one every year. we didn’t go to one this year because of unforeseen reasons, but we plan on continuing our streak next year. the vin chaud/gluhwein has us on a chokehold, I tell ya.

at Colmar, there is the St. Martin Church. now, whenever we see a church, we always try to go inside if we’re permitted. I love churches and though I’m not particularly religious, there is something about it that is very intriguing to me, especially Gothic churches that have existed for many, many years.

this time last year...

we went back to Europe to partake in the Christmas Markets, mostly in Germany, but with a stop in Prague. we also crossed the border into Alsace and walked around a few medieval towns. the one we loved the most was Eguisheim. Gordon and I woke up really early, around 4am, and made the spur of the moment decision to drive out to the Alsace region. I have become obsessed with small medieval towns now. all I want to do is visit all of them and read the history of how they all came to be.

here is Eguisheim. photos don’t give the real thing any justice.