First stop: Munich!

When my friend Judith asked me in October whether I would like to join her, her boyfriend, and her family in Budapest for Christmas, I was jumping up and down screaming of course I would love to!! So 2 months later I was frantic in my room packing my bags for an awesome winter break vacation.

Everything sort of happen on its own. While looking for transportation to Budapest I realized that I couldn't afford a direct train ticket to Budapest since they were running at at least 130 euros one way. I searched around and found an awesome bus company, FlixBus, which was only 25 euros from Göttingen to Munich from where I could then catch a train to Budapest for only 39 euros. A much more affordable option, and so happy I did it this way! Instead of just travelling to Budapest over Christmas break, I got to visit Munich, Budapest, and Prague!! Turns out that from Budapest to Prague there are regular tickets that go for only 19 euros!! Since Prague is on the way to Göttingen, I decided to spend a couple of days in Prague on my way back home. An incredible Christmas gift to myself!

The bus ride to Munich went faster than expected. It was an 8 1/2 hour trip that felt more like 4. At the bus station I met a righteous girl named Sarah with whom I chat along for hours on the bus. Because at one point we had to change buses at Nürnberger, Sarah and I decided to venture to the famous Christkindlesmarkt in Nürnberger. This Christmas market is known to be one of the most beautiful and traditional market in Bavaria, and a famous travel destination for tourist. There we spent a good hour sipping on some very hot glühwein, wondering through food and souvenir stands, and watching the crowds get larger.

I spent the night at a hostel called Jaeger´s Hostel, which was less than ok, but for 11 euros I couldn't expect more. The rooms were very clean but the people were very loud. Probably was woken up about 5 times throughout the night... big bummer. Nevertheless, there I met a really cool guy from Brazil, Patrick. This awesome fellow had more stories than my grandmother. A business analyst who was aiming to become an opera singer!! He was one of the sweetest person I've met in a very long time, always smiling, always something positive to say about life. Loved it! In February he debuts in Les Misérables in Brazil. Break a leg Patrick!!

Munich is a wonderful city, so much to do, so much to see. Because I was there for a short period of time I didn't visit all the places I would have liked to, but from what I saw, I know I would like to come back... probably during Oktoberfest. I went straight from my hostel to Marienplatz, a beautiful square in the city center of Munich. There you can catch a view of the enormous and ornate Neues Rathaus. It will leave you staring for hours.

 
From this platz you can also see the famous Glockenspiel in the tower. Every day at 11 am it chimes and re-enacts two stories from the 16th century. The show lasts about 15 minutes depending on the tune... sliiiightly overrate! After managing to escape the crowd of tourists that inundate this platz, I wondered the city for hours. Managed to visit a few markets, the Medieval Christmas market being my favorite. Walked through small allies that lead to beautiful sites. Sipped coffee at the park and saw more and more impressive buildings. All in all an amazing start to an epic winter break vacation.  Details on Budapest and Prague coming soon!

       
         xoxo,
         Gabby