March Madness Europe Style

March Madness = basketball, right?! Putting the final tweaks on all the different brackets that you filled out, trying to pick who is going to be the Cinderella team this year. I love March Madness, but this year I got to experience a different kind of March Madness European Style. ;)

On Sunday, March 18th, I went with my roommate and a few people I work with to see Fussball Club Kaiserslautern, my local hometown team, play soccer. I had heard from a lot of people about how fun the games are and knew I had to see a game before I left. Kaiserslautern is the bigger city in the area and is about 20 minutes east of Landstuhl by train. Our group headed of base to catch the train into the city. We left pretty early so we could get to the stadium about 70-80 minutes before the game and get appropriate attire and our food all situated before kickoff. Just about everyone who goes to these games takes the train in! All the seats were taken up, so we rode standing up into K-town. And then entered the throngs of people as we all piled out of the many trains that came in from all directions.

Getting off the train, heading into town toward the stadium. People were just piling out of the trains on to the platforms.

Waiting my turn to funnel down the stairs and leave the train station. 

It was about a 20 minute walk up to the stadium. All we had to do was follow the people and the smells as people tailgated before the game. It felt like I was going to watch college american football! :)
We stopped to get a few pictures around the soccer sculptures and then finally made it up to the stadium. (I don't have these pictures from my friends camera so I can't share them...) To get into the actual stadium, the girls went in one line and guys in another so that our bags could get checked and we got a little bit of a pat down.

K-town stadium, just had to walk up a little hill more and we were there. I liked the stone/glass siding so I took a quick picture.

Main Entrance

Once within the stadium gates, we found the team store. There was actually a line to get into the store! Good thing we got there early. But after a 5-10 minute wait we made it inside and I picked up a t-shirt and a scarf so I could support the K-town Devils! ;) After getting the goods, we made it a little further and figured out how to get stadium food. Before going to order your food you have to get a card and add money - kind of like a debit card. It saves time when you actually go and order your food plus that way you aren't fumbling around with change either. So, with a loaded card I got to experience currywurst. It was basically a sausage (either white or red) with some sort of sauce and lots of curry sprinkled on top. Plus a nice brötchen to soak everything up with. Not bad but nothing to really right home about either. 

Red and White Curry Wurst

My cool cup to keep as another souvenir - Kevin Trapp and he's cute too!

By this time kickoff was only minutes away so we quickly found our seats and got in just in time to see the introductions and the start of the game. It was so cool inside the stadium - the fans were so intense and there was a good number from the opposing team ready to cheer on their team. Flags were flying, signs held high, screaming and chanting back and forth between the fans, esp from the fans behind each goal. It was so cool, it really was just like college football! Here's a couple clips of the intro of the players and a sample of the chanting.

 Once, the game started K-town scored within 5 minutes on an awesome header shot. However, that would be the only goal we scored as the other team one 4-1.

Just after we scored our sole goal on a pretty sweet looking header shot!

Sliding in for a steal, unfortunately my camera doesn't have a wide enough angle and the ball went sailing off to the left! haha 

Cheering on K-town with Amy, a nurse that I work with in the DWMMC

My lovely roommate Cheryl and I after the game. .

I found myself getting into the game really easily and had a great time. The time flew by. It  was pretty easy to tell that K-town may not be the greatest team; they didn't have as good ball control, player awareness, and play running as the other team. I found out later that we are the last in the league and have the youngest, smallest players. Despite this fact, I had a blast and would go back in a heart beat. Don't worry, I still spent hours tweaking my brackets, watching a few games, and wishing I was back home watching all the games at BW's...

The Hills are Alive!

This past weekend I was able to take a train ride over to the Munich are and meet/hang out with distant relatives (somehow, someway we are related if you go back to like 1500 or something!). I had a lot of fun with Wilhem and Angelika. They were excellent hosts and it's so cool to tour the city and surrounding area with locals who can speak the primary language! I experienced local cuisine from Munich beer to pretzels to sausage to cheese; by the end of the trip I was definitely craving a crispy colorful salad that's for sure!

I arrived in Munich via Deutsche Bahn, taking the I.C.E train that travels at 200+ km/hr making stops only at major stations so it only took about 3-4 hours to get into Munich. I made it on and off the train no problem and can honestly say taking a train is pretty cool! ;) I met Wilhem at the main lobby, dropped off my luggage in his car, and went right into walking around Munich. We ate at the famous Augustiner, which is one of the oldest restaurant and breweries in Munich dating back to the 1300's. Munich, well Bavaria in general, cuisine is know for two things: brezel and weisswurst. Wilhem had told me this in an earlier conversation and I told him that at some point during this weekend I had to try both of these things. Of course he remembered and so that's what we had for lunch. It was great, he ordered me the house beer (which was surprisingly good!) and the sausage. Pretzels were already out on the table calling my name! After we ordered, our waiter brought us a small ceramic pot filled with deliciously spicy sweet mustard to eat with both the pretzels and sausage. Shortly, our sausage came in a larger ceramic pot. These sausages are boiled and then served in pot with hot water to keep warm and served two at a time. To eat these sausages you have to removed the casing, I just followed Wilhem's lead: split in half and peel of the casing using a fork and knife, cut, and dunk in mustard. It was a delicious lunch.

The Augustiner Beer Hall and Restaurant: home of delicious pretzels, sausage, and beer!

mmmm...yum-mo!

The weisswurst in the warm water, waiting to be eaten.

Split in half, casing about to be removed. It looks boring but it was good!

After eating lunch, we walked all over the city. From looking inside churches, to seeing what is left of the old city wall, climbing up the steps of Alter Peter to take a 360 degree tour view of the city, more churches, a walk through a cool store full of fresh fruit, veggies, meats, cheeses, coffee, wine (reminded me of the German version of the Fresh Market), and ending by getting an afternoon cup of coffee. Okay, okay, juice for me!

One of Several Churches in Munich

The 'new' city hall - still several decades old but extremely impressive. 

City Hall in the Marienplatz. I unfortunately didn't not get to see the people dancing on the building store front. They only move at two times apparently: 11 and 3.

remnants of the original city wall

View One of Munich from the top of Alter Peter

View Two of Munich

View 3

View Four. I think was the direction you can see the Alps... if it was a clearer day

City Hall from above

This is another central building in the city. This is were they would have large parties are parades after winning a battle or war. You can see the soldier there in the middle and the two bavarian lions flanking him...I'm standing in the large central square where thousands of people can gather to join in the celebrations.

Part of another catholic church in the city. If you look back at the last high top picture of Munich you can see the whole church behind City Hall.

The Rotunda inside the church.

This is the ceiling of the mall where we had our afternoon drinks. I just thought the hanging lights and plants was a pretty cool decoration so I snapped a quick picture. 

After completely the city tour, we drove north into Oberschleissheim. We drove by Olympic Village (now just a bunch of normal everyday apartments, didn't get any pictures), BMW headquarters, and onto the Appold's home. I didn't even think to get a picture of the offices at BMW but they have a really cool building - it's 4 cylinders that make up the whole building and black just like a 4 cylinder engine. It was kinda cool! I'll get a chance to take a picture probably again in a month hopefully so stay tuned. Not much happened the rest of the evening. We had fresh brot to dip in kase fondue, a salad, yellow peppers and pickles. It was kinda weird combination of foods but tasted good! :) No pictures of this dinner either...

Saturday morning I awoke to a crisp, frosty, but sunny day. I got my run in really quick (gotta keep up the training for the 1/2 marathon you know!) and then had a breakfast of bread, various cheese, jams, yogurt and juice. I then got the chance to go with Helmi to their local butcher. While I didn't understand the conversation, it was so much fun to see the fresh meat and the lines of people out getting all the meat they needed for the next week. I wish we had butcher shops back home, it felt so quaint and European to go out and do that! After getting what they needed for the next week, they took me southeast into Austria to visit Salzburg and get up close and personal with the Alps. I took so many pictures of the Alps but they were so pretty and I couldn't help myself! When we got to Salzburg it was late morning, we stopped in a cafe so they could get an espresso and they wouldn't not let me order anything so I had a glass of OJ. We then walked over the pedestrian bridge and into Salzburg and the city center. We made it just in time to catch the end of their market. Then because I was with some 'locals', we went in a couple stores I normally wouldn't have know about including a salt shop. They sold all kinds of salt rocks, bath salts, and kitchen salts - rightly so as we were in Salzburg after all. I enjoyed looking all all the different kitchen salts. We proceeded to walk around the city. We ate lunch in another really old restaurant that was built directly into the side of a mountain. Helmi and I traversed up to the fortress overlooking the city (phew, it was a hard climb up too!), saw a couple more churches, and then rejoined Angelika to travel south back into Germany and into the Alps. This was my favorite part of the trip, to climb up into the mountains: feeling the air get cleaner and cooler, breath taking views, seeing the snow piled up around you and on the trees, and the general peace and serenity by getting away from all the people milling around the stores and city streets. We ended our drive by stopping for the usual afternoon drink and enjoyed a great view, refreshing drink, and a yummy apple pastry! 

**warning, here comes just a brief sample of all the pictures I took this day!**

Crisp Morning Run - see that beautiful sun coming up and little clouds in the sky.

Where the Appold's live.

On the Autobahn, headed to Salzburg and the Alps (see them out there on the horizon?!)

Walking bridge over the Salzach River to get to Altstadt

Welcome to Salzburg!

Salzburg on the banks of the Salzach River. There were all these locks on the bridge; couples or best friends buy locks and put them on this chain link friends to symbolize their relationship is locked forever! 

The Altstadt (Old Town) Market and a couple big blocks of cheese

I was treated to a Austria original bon-bon: Mozartkugeln. A pistachio hugged in chocolate nugget,  encircled in mascarpone, finally encircled in a hard chocolate shell. Delicious. 

My wonderful hosts: Wilhem and Angelika

Goulash: my lunch for the day, it was okay. Let's just say I won't order it again. 

The restaurant: St. Peter's restaurant. Built directly into the mountain side. 

Inside St. Peter's Cathedral

Inside the Fortness. Remember the picture of Salzburg a few pictures above?? (go ahead, look to refresh your memory...) Helmi and I climbed up to this place on foot, forgoing the cable car ride, to walk around inside the gate and see the view from the balconies. This is a picture of the castle inside the fortress. There is like a whole mini city within the fortress walls.

Looking North onto the city of Salzburg through the window of the canons that once defended this city.

One of several fortress watch towers.

Looking South from one of the balconies. Isn't that a gorgeous view?!?

One of my favorite pictures taken from onto of the balconies looking onto southern Salzburg and the beautiful snow capped Alps.

Inside the main cathedral in Salzburg. It was gorgeous inside with all sorts of biblical scenes painted on the walls and ceilings. Plus, check out that organ - are you impressed David?! 

One of the shopping streets.

Mozart was born here!

After leaving the city, we headed south back into Germany and climbed up via Rossfeld to get onto Panaramastrasse (Panarama Street) to take in the gorgeous views. This is a view at about 1000 m high.

Here we are at about 1300 meters. Sun shining nice and bright. Can see the tiny little bump on top of the mountain just to the left of the two sun rays pointing down? That's the Eagle's Nest: one of Hitler's Hideaways. This is about as close as I got, the rode up to this hideout is closed in the winter due to snowfall.

A snowball made of fresh, Alpine snow. :)

Just an average afternoon...you know?!? 

Looking South at 1600 m; this is the highest we made it along in our adventure that day.

Pretty cool huh?! This is the view that to the left from the picture above. Panaramastrasse is curving around the mountain side. 

Stopping for afternoon coffee. I tried skiwasser: mineral water (with gas) and elderberry juice syrup for a nice refreshingly sweet taste. Plus, the owners convinced us to get apple strudel too!

View from our table as we sipped our beverages. Can you spot the Eagle's Nest here?

Watzmann Mountain Massive: the third tallest mountain in Germany. It has three main sections. (1) The tallest is Watzmann Peak, located all the way to the left and has three peaks Hocheck (2651 m), Mittelspitze (Middle Peak, 2,713m) and Südspitze (South Peak, 2,712m). (2) Watzmannfrau (Watzmann Wife) is the peak all the way to the left and is 2307 m high. (3) In between these two peaks lies the Watzmannkinder (Watzmann Children); five small peaks lying in the shadows of mom and dad. ;)

On Saturday evening, we spent the evening Skyping with my parents to begin planning their trip in a few weeks (yeah!) and with my grandpa and Aunt Patrice. I was a little miffed that my Dad had to postpone talking to his only daughter living all the way across the ocean to finish watching the Spartan's basketball game, but I filled the time by borrowing Angelika's dirndl. Sunday was cold, rainy, and cloudy. So we finished up the itinerary plans and returned to Munich to walk around the Museum of Modern Art - man, modern art is weird! - eat lunch, and then it was time for me to get back on the train and return back to Landstuhl (just in time to catch the Spartan's beat those Buckeye's and win the B1G Tournament! Go Green :) ). 

In the German dress, dancing around, being silly. 

Had to get a picture in front of the Appold crest before leaving to head back home. 

The Oberschleissheim Palace

Castle grounds...see a dreary, rainy Sunday. No real sign of spring yet here in Munich, hopefully this will look much different in a month!

 Thanks for traveling and reading with me. I love you all. xoxo