(in your best Julie Andrews voice)
Let's start at the beginning, a very good place to start...
(I know Sound of Music was in Austria not Germany, but close enough!).
And, let the movie references begin too!
First of all, let me give some background for anyone reading this who I haven't talked to in a while and a few people who wanted to know what the heck we're doing going to Germany and leaving a perfectly nice life, home, and community. We have traveled to Europe for a handful of times B.C. (before Colin) and loved so many things about Munich and Germany and Europe in general, and have been dying to go back and get our Euro travel on since '07. We had previously visited Munich twice as well as other Rick Steves' recommended German cities, and fell in love with the culture of Munich/Bavaria/Germany--their food, beer & biergartens, their donning of the traditional dress (trachten), architecture, cleanliness, on-time trains and mass transit, green spaces, and it's nice citizens who speak good English if you are polite and attempt German first! So, when Scott had the opportunity to do a "tax trek" exchange to work in their KPMG Munich office for three months, we were pretty excited and it was a no-brainer! Three months, or 13 weeks is not that long, and we'd regret it if we didn't jump for the chance for this adventure (paid furnished apartment and utilities!, they paid for Scott's plane ticket, we paid for mine, and cashed in ALL our Delta Sky Miles for Colin's ticket--but totally worth it!
And, we thought the travel and different culture experience would be really awesome for Colin!
Scott knew of this program within the company, and he had worked in Atlanta (during our 18-month stint of our relocated life there--another blog post to explain that one--I have some practice relocating and living in temporary corporate housing) with a few people who had come to the US from the Munich office, so he would actually know some of the co-workers "across the pond" too.
Actually, Scott dropped a lot of subtle and not so subtle hints to lobby key partners and key people to make this happen, and it's a great growth opportunity for him! We thought we knew the good and bad of the assignment, but had several curveballs thrown at us, but with lots of prayer and some luck, we got all the details worked out in a matter of weeks and days before the departure date.
Colin has the cutest passport picture ever, we got visas, we have a place to live with some extras (a room for Colin with his very own bed (futon) that he loves!), we'll get a bank account, I'll buy a bike with a seat on it for Colin and we hopefully packed all the right stuff and can buy the rest.
June 26, 2011 departure date.
I formulated a strategic plan for a hopefully smooth journey from Birmingham, via ATL, to board an 8 hour plane ride to Munich.
It was all good! He loved it ALL--the airport, the baggage check and carousels (because the Buzz and Woody saved Jesse from the airplane on the runway with Bullseye...Toy Story 2, 2nd movie reference!), the ground crews, plane seats, tray tables, windows, the pilot and flight attendants, takeoff, landing, his very own TV in the seat in front of him...and the pilot gave him his wings and a shout out over the intercom on the BHM-ATL flight! And I had my Mommy bag-o-tricks ready for the next phase...
All part of my plan (rubbing my palms together and winking)!
In my Mary Poppins-ish (3rd movie, 2nd Julie Andrews ref :) carry-on I had packed for the international flight I had the following:
Portable DVD player & DVD's
Old-school earphones with pads because earbuds hurt his ears and pulls them out (Scott thought of this one)
Toy Story pj's & pull-up (not risking accident on plane!!) that we put on for the dinner/bath/book/bed phase of the flight (yes, we're keeping to the same routine as much as possible anywhere we go)
Pediatrician approved children's Benedryl (we did a test run at home a month before--no reactions :)
Surprise cheap/small toys for doing great and staying sorta quiet (found in Dollar Store, Target & Walmart check out lines)
Apple & banana, dried fruit & cereal, Gummi bears (to chew so ears will pop and not hurt!), Goldfish, mandarin oranges, mini Oreos, granola bars, nuts--all packed in ziploc snack bags or individual serving containers (checkout line at Target/WalMart)...some for Mommy & Daddy too
Leaptop Laptop
Travel AquaDoodle
Crayons, Coloring book, new stickers
Two small Take & Play Thomas & Friends trains
New Cars "Tow Mater" small car that I gave him at the start of the day in the BHM airport
Two skinny paper back books
Socks
Lovey & favorite blue Angel Dear elephant blanky that goes EVERYWHERE with us, and small stuffed doggy, a Woody-look-a-like
Colin's TSA approved quart-sized bag of toiletries: wet wipes, toothbrush & toothpaste, saline nose drops, children's ibuprofen just in case,
Chocolate (for Mommy!)
I think we used just about everything we packed. Colin DID NOT TOUCH the airplane food for the dinner or breakfast meal, so all my food I packed came in handy--cereal with airplane milk became dinner and breakfast :) The Benedryl worked! :) My anal-retentiveness really pays off sometimes!
He was really great overall and I was so proud of him!
I didn't sleep, which I never do on planes anyway, but I got to watch a couple of good movies in peace, which is good enough for me!
So we landed (8:00 am, local Munich time), got through customs, picked up all 8 pieces of luggage/stroller/carseat/bike (all made the trip with us thankfully), packed it into a minivan taxi to go check into our hotel and enjoy for our 24 hours in Munich (before heading for the Cinque Terre!).....
Colin and me in front of entrance to pedestrian zone near the Marianplatz....he's awake for now, taking it all in on his inaugural ride in the stroller (a.k.a The Gladiator). The Gladiator deserves a post of it's own, which I'll do later!
Glockenspiel (humongous cuckoo clock) in the Marianplatz
And he's out...turned out to be a nice long nap and we're falling in love with The Gladiator!
Tow Mater gets to ride along too...
Scott and I take a long walk to our some of our favorite places to stay awake and reacquaint ourselves with the city. The weather couldn't be any better to welcome us to our new home for three months!
In the Hofgarten.
It's one of my favorite places because this little rotunda usually has a violinist (maybe the same person each time?) who plays for tips. The acoustics are amazing, and there's little stone seats in the shade inside.
Coming back for picnic spot #1
Scott soaking in the sun.
I think he looks very German already.
We are heading out of the regal, formal Hofgarten...
Into the Englischer Garten
It's larger than NYC's Central Park, designed by the same guy, with lots of the same features plus more: playgrounds for kids, duck ponds, river surfing, restaurants, biergartens, ice cream stands, paddle boats, pretty bridges, a lazy river for swimming, Japanese Tea House, lots of shady paths for bike riding, walking and jogging, horseback riding, carriage rides). Much to explore and do! Avert your eyes if nudity bothers you...
No, no, no, not me...I'd never! Well, not anymore!
It was too tempting! I needed an icy cold jolt. My feet were tired and swoll up from the long flight. I really wanted to sit down and just dangle my legs in, but I have a husband on a mission to get to one of the first of a long list of biergartens...
Biergarten? Check! Giant pretzel? Check! Giant beer? Check! Nap? Um, not yet, but this is pretty good!
This is where we were enjoying that giant pretzel and beer, within the Englischer Garten, the Chinesischer Turm is one of three big biergartens and can seat up to 7,000. Generally a young crowd with lots of student travelers, but will get all ages, races, weirdos, pierced and tatted people, "normal" looking people like us, and the older men decked out in their lederhosen for their regular meet-up--it's awesome people watching. Sometimes a traditional Bavarian brass "oompah" band will play from the 3rd or 4th level up on the weekends which just kicks it up a notch to an even awesome-r notch.
Scott snapping a portrait in front of the "Turm"
60+ year old naked guy...he's well oiled and tan every inch from head to toe. Be careful not to ride your bike into the river if you're looking!
Oh yeah, when I said I loved the relaxed culture of Bavaria, I really meant that they really don't care if you go around naked in the parks and such as long as you wear clothes on the trains, trams, streets, etc.
It's always the people who shouldn't be naked that are...
Lazy river near duck pond...
I love this town!
Common site on a sunny day in Munich (in any park, but especially in the Englischer Garten):
Row of bikes parked, towels out, people sunning lazily along the river.....ahhh...maybe I'll...sleep, maybe I'll take a dip, maybe I'll read a book...but don't park near the old naked dudes!
Hmmm, wonder if I can manipulate Colin's routine if I can come here every sunny day while he naps in the stroller and I read or doze lazily on my towel...
OK, I hope this plays--especially if you made it this far through my first post (no, they won't all be this long!)...did you catch the part of my detailed description of the Garten about river surfing? So COOL!
Colin slept through the surfing too! We'll come back!
So, we finally got to go back to the hotel and take a nap and a shower!!! So much better after that!
While I napped, Scott went to meet his coworker-buddy that he met in ATL, Daniel, at the KPMG office to store our excess baggage because the train station lockers only allow 72-hr max storage (in post-9/11 era).
Daniel (not pictured here, but will show up in future posts!) met us all at the Hofbrau Keller (Keller=cellar) near our apartment (that we haven't yet seen or moved into). Daniel is a super nice guy who likes kids, and he became Uncle Daniel that night! Thankfully he went with the flow as Colin dealt with his jet lag with some top notch Terrible Three Tantrums while we're at dinner. We got one good pic above, with Tow Mater to boot!
There was a playground and a kids craft area with chalkboards, coloring, and balloons, but Colin wanted NOTHING to do with any of it. He wanted to check out the trees outside the fence where we were sitting and found a stick and showed a tree a tree who was boss for a good 30 minutes. Then he climbed this tree and actually smiled for a picture!
Hofbrau Keller biergarten in our soon to be, new, temporary Haidhausen neighborhood!
Will have to come back here....I'm sure Colin will love this playground when he sees it again!
Guten Nacht!
Tomorrow, get rental car and head to Cinque Terre, Italy!
