What to Eat in Bavaria : Schnitzels and pretzels and beer, oh my!

March 30, 2017

I was so excited for the food on our recent trip through Bavaria and Austria that I told Nick for days on end as our trip was approaching all about the food I was going to eat the whole time we were there. And let me tell you, I had more food on this trip than perhaps any before. The food in this part of the world is right up my alley and I couldn’t help myself! So if you’re headed to Germany (and Austria too!) here’s what to eat in Bavaria to your heart’s content!

Weiner Schnitzel

As one of my all time favorite dishes, I had this about 4 days out of our 7 day trip. You won’t get Weiner Schnitzel anywhere in the world that tastes as good as it does in Germany (and Austria).

Apple Strudel

As my all time favorite dessert, I did not skimp on the apple strudel while in Germany. My favorite way to have it served: with vanilla sauce and a heaping dollop of whipped cream.

Spaetzle

I love spaetzle and while I only had it our last night with a veal stew, it might not have looked very amazing but it tasted fantastic!

Pretzels

Pretzels are one of my favorites so we had lots while in Germany!

Beer

Living in Portland, we have amazing local beer and while I’ll have a glass of beer every once in a while (usually the darker varieties like a Porter or a Stout), I tried out 2 of Munich’s local beers our first night there and have to say they were pretty damn good!

Pastries

We were in awe of the amazing displays of pastries all over Munich and indulged more than once!

Traveling to Germany?

See all of my posts on the country here!

The Truth About Traveling : You Won’t Love Every Place You Visit

March 29, 2017

One of the biggest misconceptions about travel, in my opinion, is that simply the act of traveling somewhere will make you love the destination you find yourself in. Over my years of frequent travel and living abroad, I’ve visited lots of places that I didn’t love, places that I have no interest in returning to, places that just don’t vibe with my personality. Sometimes those places are destinations that other people love and are surprised to hear me say I didn’t enjoy them. I’ve been honest in the past on Land of Marvels about not liking San Francisco or about how I didn’t like Rome at all the first time I visited. But perhaps the most important note to make on this topic is that it’s completely ok for you not to fall in love with every place you visit, and even more so, it’s perfectly ok to not like a place and to say so with an open and honest mind.

Recently on our trip through Europe, one of our stops was Munich, Germany. We were planning to road trip through Austria so Munich seemed a great city to base ourselves for the start and end of our road trip and would offer us the opportunity to see Germany for the first time, especially the region of Bavaria which I’d really wanted to see. Ultimately, I walked away from Munich with a sense of disappointment and for numerous reasons, I realized that perhaps Munich and I just aren’t meant to get along.

Personally for me, the city seemed harsh, both architecturally and in personality. The local culture wasn’t compatible with my personality and I had a hard time with the brusque and efficient attitude from locals. After our first day in Munich, I literally said to Nick “what are we doing wrong that everyone seems so harsh with us?” We walked in multiple cafes and restaurants where we were basically just ignored or spoken to very brusque-ly. Not one person in any establishment ever said hello or smiled at us and people literally walked right in front of us in the streets. It wasn’t until I googled our issue to understand that the culture in parts of Germany is just more brusque than we’re used to, very efficient and knowing that after the fact did ease our sensation a bit. But I’ll be honest, I still had a hard time with it and it really affected me during our couple days in the city.

I’ve traveled all over the world, lived in multiple countries and am not one to stereotype entire groups of people or cultures, so I say the above with an open mind and that’s why I wanted to confirm that it wasn’t something we were doing to be rude or insensitive to local culture during our time in Germany. But even knowing that the culture of Bavaria might lean toward efficiency over politeness in general, it’s still ok for us as visitors to accept and understand that but to also dislike it. I felt very uncomfortable in that type of setting and as someone who loves to say hello and make people feel welcome, I had a hard time with the personality of Munich.

The point is this: you’re not going to love every place you visit and that’s perfectly alright. We’re not all meant to love every place or to jive with every personality around the world. I personally love France and don’t find the rude French stereotype to be true, though many people do. Then again, you might feel the same way about Germany. Whatever the personality of a place or its people, it’s important to be educated and understand why something might not be how you expect it to be. It’s important to remember that different places feel different and that each place you visit has a “soul” of its own, if you will, each place has a personality of its own and it might be compatible with yours and it might not.

Sometimes we might love a place, sometimes we might not – but either way, seeing places and forming our own opinion is ultimately the goal of travel and how we ultimately learn from the destinations we visit. I didn’t love Munich and that’s ok. We each form our own opinions as travelers, seeing places through our own eyes and if you love a destination, then great. And if you don’t, that’s ok too.

Munich in a Day : A First Taste of Germany

March 27, 2017

We arrived in Munich from Amsterdam in the late evening, so upon arrival, we took the train into the Central Train Station from the Airport, dropped off our bags at our hotel and then headed to get dinner. I was most excited about the food for our time in Germany and it didn’t disappoint! We walked the quick 10 minutes to Augustiner Keller, one of the city’s old beer halls and feasted on pretzels, Weiner Schnitzel, beer and apple strudel to name a few items. It was the best meal of our whole trip!

The following day, we wandered out to explore Munich and see more of the city. After wandering through the Marienplatz area of the city in the morning, we opted for a double decker bus tour of the city in the afternoon to see more of the area. Overall, Munich wasn’t my favorite, but the food made it worth it!

Traveling to Germany?

See all of my posts on the country here!

Everything You Need to Eat in Amsterdam

March 24, 2017

Nick and I are huge food people – we love great food and as we travel, that’s always a priority for us. Some cities have great food, others not so much but Amsterdam is one of the great ones. There is so much to love about Dutch food! So for some of my favorites here is everything you need to eat in Amsterdam!

Stroopwafels

I’ve been eating Stroopwafels since I was a kid and they are still a favorite. When we’d fly back to the States from Saudi Arabia as a kid, we always flew through Amsterdam. My aunt was obsessed with Stroopwafels and so every time we’d fly through Amsterdam we’d race through the airport to find them for her and bring them home. Now they are available in the States and easier to find, but the best ones are still in Amsterdam. Don’t miss out on this waffle cookie sandwich with caramel in the middle.

Dutch Pancakes

A favorite of ours when in Amsterdam, Dutch pancakes are sort of like a crepe but the filling just goes on top of the pancake instead of inside. It’s also a less sweet flavor – hence the sweet toppings you’ll often find on a Dutch pancake. I like mine simple – either just powdered sugar or a raspberry jam on top. Nick often gets bacon inside of his and other savory toppings. Most Dutch pancake restaurants will have a wide variety of choices!

Gouda Cheese

We are big cheese fans so we always pick up cheese in Amsterdam, especially Gouda! Our favorite stop to buy cheese is the Amsterdam Cheese Company which has locations throughout the city.

Heineken Beer

If you’re a beer fan, Heineken is everywhere in Amsterdam. A ton of cafes have signs outside advertising they have Heineken.

Bitterballen

You’ll find croquettes and Bitterballen in a lot of places in Amsterdam – a deep fried meatball or cheese filled finger food which is delicious! Similar in consistency to Spain’s version of a croquette, but usually with more of a meat filling.

Traveling to The Netherlands?

See all of my posts on the country!

Where to Stay in Amsterdam

The Best Way to Spend 48 Hours in Amsterdam

March 22, 2017

Amsterdam has quickly become one of my favorite cities over the past few years. I visited a lot as a kid as it was our main thorough fare from the Middle East back to the States. But as an adult, Nick and I have visited a handful of times now and each time I fall more and more in love with it. We also have a direct flight from Portland to Amsterdam which makes it super easy to explore mainland Europe and I love having the reason to fly through the city and stopover for a day or two.

The famous Dutch city is actually fairly small in size and easy to explore in just a couple days. Of course more won’t hurt, but if you only have 2 days, here’s the best way to spend 48 hours in Amsterdam!

Where to Stay in Amsterdam

Day 1:

Breakfast at the Pancake Bakery – Head here early before the crowds! My favorite Dutch Pancake style, plain with powdered sugar, but for a more savory option try bacon!

Wander the Nine Streets – This is the area you always see photos of from Amsterdam, flowing with endless canals and gorgeous row houses. Watch out for bikes here as the locals will be flying through while you’re trying to sight-see.

Be first in line to tour the Anne Frank House – This famous spot in the city gets really crowded so buy tickets in advance and be the first in line to visit.

Head to the Jordaan for more wandering – This area is a little more local than the Nine Streets with a few less canals but beautiful all the same for a wander.

Lunch at a cafe alongside the canals – There are lots of cafes all along the canals, pick one and enjoy the long lazy lunch.

Afternoon wander through Vondel Park – This large and gorgeous park in the city is well worth a wander through in the afternoon if it’s a nice day.

Pizza for Dinner at Mangiancora in De Pijp area – This place was recommended to me by a local the first time we went to Amsterdam and it’s a gem. It’s tiny and in a kind of out of the way spot, but the pizza is amazing.

Stay at the Pullitzer Hotel – This hotel has become my go-to in Amsterdam… the location, the design, the service… it’s amazing!

Day 2:

Breakfast at Pancakes! Amsterdam – Start Day 2 with another Dutch pancake, this time at the tiny little Pancakes! Amsterdam location in the Nine Streets. This place is tiny, like probably only 10 tables tiny so go first thing in the morning or go on a week day. My favorite here: plain with raspberry jam.

Spend your morning in Amsterdam’s museums – Amsterdam is known for it’s museums and Holland for it’s artists, so wander through whatever museums you might be interested in!

See the I Amsterdam sign – This fairly new but famous landmark is right in the museum quarter so take a gander after your art viewings.

Head back to the canals, buy some stroopwafels and have a mid day snack sitting alongside the canals – One of my favorite things to do in Amsterdam when the weather is decent, buy a pack of Stroopwafels, grab a seat alongside a canal and just watch the day go by.

Canal boat tour in the afternoon – If the weather isn’t great or you just want to see more of the city, a canal boat tour is the perfect exercise. There are a ton of different companies that do it, so pick one and enjoy!

Early evening – wander through central flower market – While this area is really touristy, it’s still well worth a wander through, especially in the Spring.

Dinner at Luden – We’ve eaten here a few times now in the Nine Streets and every time the food is great. It’s location is great too!

Stay at the Pullitzer Hotel – See above.

Traveling to The Netherlands?

See all of my posts on the country!

Early Spring in Amsterdam : Dutch Pancakes + Blue Skies

March 20, 2017

We arrived in Amsterdam around 8:30am on our flight from Portland. We headed first to drop off our bags at our hotel (Hotel Pullitzer – which we loved!) After dropping our bags and freshening up, we headed out for breakfast. One of our favorite things in Amsterdam is the food, including amazing Dutch pancakes so we headed straight to a favorite spot, The Pancake Bakery, to indulge in a delicious breakfast. On our way as we meandered through the 9 Streets and the famous canals, the sky was blue, the birds were chirping and incredible clouds filled the sky. It was one of those incredible early Spring mornings in Amsterdam that you really can’t beat!

Where to Stay in Amsterdam

Tips for Amsterdam

-Just wander! The 9 Streets are the famous old section of the city with the canals and canal houses – don’t have a destination in mind and just wander through this gorgeous part of the city.

-For Dutch Pancakes, I’d recommend both the Pancake Bakery (more room and easier to get into on a weekend) and Pancakes! Amsterdam (tiny little place and hard to get into on weekends, so go on a weekday or early on Saturday/Sunday).

-Splurge and stay the Hotel Pullitzer! It was our first time at this hotel but we’ve now found our regular spot in the city, we loved it!

Traveling to The Netherlands?

See all of my posts on the country!

Favorite Moments : Amsterdam, Bavaria + Austria

March 17, 2017

We got home from our trip through Europe last weekend and as I’ve spent the last few days catching up on everything here at home, my mind and heart are still lost in the moments from our trip. Overall, it was a great one and we saw a lot of places we loved, some we didn’t, and others we spent in locations we already knew we loved. So as I start to share everything from our trip about these amazing places so you can visit too, here are my favorite moments from our adventures in Amsterdam, Bavaria and Austria!

Spring weather and blue skies in Amsterdam.

We arrived first in Amsterdam for a couple days at the beginning of our trip and while we’ve visited many times now, it’s always a favorite stop for us. The charm of Amsterdam is undeniable and it’s always just lovely to wander the canals hand in hand with no destination in mind. We lucked out this trip with amazing beautiful blue skies and Spring like temps while there and it made the whole city glow!

An amazing beer hall meal in Munich.

One of the things I was most excited about for our first visit to Germany was the food. I love Wiener Schnitzel, pretzels, apple strudel… basically anything German, is my kind of food! So our first night in Munich we headed to Augustiner Keller and had the best meal of our trip!

Driving through the Austrian Alps.

After we left Bavaria, we headed to Austria. Our first stop was Innsbruck and to get there, we had to drive through the Austrian Alps. To say this drive was beautiful is an understatement. The mountains are so incredible and the drive, in all its snowy glory, was incredible.

Dinner al fresco in Innsbruck.

We made it to Innsbruck after a long day of driving through Bavaria and through the Alps. I didn’t love Germany in all honesty (I’ll get into that in a later post) and so when we got to Innsbruck, a wave of anxiety lifted. I love Austria and fell in love with the country last year, so returning and stopping in Innsbruck for the first time really lifted my spirits. We spent our evening in Innsbruck wandering the Old Town and then stopping for a chilly, but lovely dinner al fresco, while listening to someone playing the piano in the square and the clock tower ringing. In short, it was dreamy.

A foggy morning in Hallstatt.

One of the places I was most looking forward to visiting on this trip was Hallstatt. And though it takes a trek to get there and I know a few times Nick thought I was crazy as I took him through mountains and curvy roads, the end result was gorgeous. We arrived around 10am and the fog was still hanging in over the mountains and the lake was the perfect shad of gray. This town is breathtakingly beautiful and the scenery around it only makes it even more stunning.

The Best Travel Guides for International Travel

March 16, 2017

Travel takes research, and especially International Travel, requires you to understand a city or destination before heading there. Sure, you could jump on a plane and just show up, but without doing the research or understanding the layout of the destination you won’t be organized and therefore won’t be able to see everything you want to. So when you’re planning International travel, you’ll most likely turn to travel guides to get a hold on the information you’ll need to not only plan your trip but also to make the most of your time while on the ground at your destination. But… there are so many different travel guides out there, so which to use and which are the best? Well as a frequent traveler, here are the guides that I go to when planning my International travel and what I like about each one!

Land of Marvels Travel Guides

I couldn’t have a list of travel guides without mentioning my own Land of Marvels Travel Guides in my LOM Shop! I offer guides for several cities and destinations around the world based on my personal experience exploring those places. And the best part, they are only $5!

Streetwise Maps

For maps, these are my fave! They are a great size and easy to read, they are laminated so still easy to use even when it’s raining and they show streets and public transport really easily together. I have been using the Streetwise Maps for years and they are definitely my favorite! And while their collection sticks mostly to large cities, they also have smaller Subway and Metro maps for cities like New York and London.

LUXE City Guides

I was turned on to the LUXE city guides years ago and I still buy one for every city we go to. They are compact and easy to travel with, but they are also super hip and offer great advice for the millennial traveler. From shopping to dining to great general tips, I’m a fan of the LUXE city guides. They also are all beautifully designed and look great sitting on a shelf at home.

DK Eyewitness Travel TOP 10 Guides

Sometimes we’ll be heading to a place where I can’t find a Streetwise map for it or I want a little more info than I was able to get from other sources – when that happens I head to the DK Eyewitness Travel TOP 10 guide books. My favorite thing about these: the foldable map at the back of the guide. I also love these for the easy size and lots of photos!

Frommer’s Day by Day Guides

As an alternative to the TOP 10 Guide books above, I also love the Frommer’s Day by Day guide books. These are great for destinations that you’d like to just use someone else’s itinerary or if you have a specific time frame in a destination and don’t want to have to do a ton of work figuring out what to do.

A Step by Step Guide to Packing

March 15, 2017

I’ve talked a lot about packing here on Land of Marvels and as a believer in carry-on packing, we’ve discussed packing mostly on the premise of how to actually fit everything in your suitcase. But we haven’t discussed much about how I actually choose specific clothing for trips and the thought that goes on behind the scenes before the suitcases even come out. So for a step by step guide to packing and how I actually choose outfits for trips, here is all my best advice!

1. Pick a color scheme.

I always pick a color scheme before a trip. Depending on the destination, that might mean lots of bright colors or it might mean more muted options. For example for our most recent Europe trip through Amsterdam, Germany and Austria, I chose to go with tan/camel as my neutral and then everything else was black or navy based around that. That way I didn’t end up with all sorts of items that wouldn’t go with everything else.

2. Lay out all the options.

Once I have an idea of what my color scheme and vibe might be for a trip in terms of outfits, I lay out all my options on my bed. This starts as a large grouping at first and then we’ll narrow down. But starting with all the options for that color scheme and look helps to get my head wrapped around what I’ll need.

3. Narrow down options.

After step #2, then I go through and narrow everything down. I usually cut down the options by half or more at this stage.

4. Try everything on.

After I’ve narrowed down options, I try everything on. This way you get an idea of what you’ll really need and any other changes or updates you might want to make to the outfit.

5. Take photos of outfits and write them down.

I take quick photos in the mirror of each outfit so that when we’re traveling I remember what I was thinking. I also write them down on my itinerary so that when I actually get to packing them in my suitcase, I can go through the written list and make sure I have everything from each outfit.

6. Set them aside for a few days.

After steps #4 and #5, then I’ll set everything aside for a few days to think about the items I chose to bring. Sometimes I’ll rethink it and change up a few things a few days later, sometimes it stays the same. This is why it’s important though to start this process about a week before your trip so you have time to mull over your options. Sometimes my outfit options will change also as I watch the weather close to my trip.

7. Pack your suitcase.

And finally, after a few days of updating or changing as needed, a few days before my trip, I’ll pack everything in my suitcase. If you want packing tips for this for carry on only, I have a video post here!

See More Packing Posts in my Archives

Everything You Need to Know about Renewing Global Entry

March 14, 2017

If you’re coming up to needing to renew your Global Entry account, today we’re going over everything you need to know about renewing Global Entry accounts. Since the program was brand new 5 years ago and I was in the first batch of people to sign up for it, that first batch of people is now just starting to renew the program. Due to that, there isn’t a lot of clear information out there on the renewal process, so I help I can help since I’m just going through it recently. I ran into a few snags regarding information when renewing recently, so here’s any helpful advice I can offer!

Last Fall, I needed to get a new passport due to running out of pages. So after I got my new passport, I went into the Global Entry office to have them link my new passport with my Global Entry account. (If you don’t know anything about Global Entry, check out my overview post here.) When I was there, I asked about when I need to renew my Global Entry account since it expires during Summer 2017. They told me I’d need to come in for another interview and since those interviews book up months in advance, I’d need to start the renewal process in February. So fast forward to a few weeks ago when I went to my GOES account online and renewed. During the process (which ended up being pretty easy other than lack of information from Customs and Border Patrol), I realized a few things, so here is what I learned!

1. You’ll renew through your GOES account online.

You’ll go through the Manage Account button in your GOES account and follow the steps to renew. You’ll need to confirm all your information and have a list of countries that you’ve visited in the past 5 years. It took me a while to list all of them as I’ve visited a lot of places in the past 5 years, but just go through the list and you’ll be fine!

2. Once you submit your renewal online, wait until you get an email from the system.

I was notified about a week and a half later that my account had been updated. Then you’ll have to log back into your GOES Account to read the message.

3. 1 of 3 things will occur: A) You’ll get approved. B) You’ll be conditionally approved. C) You’ll be denied.

If you get Approved, you don’t need to schedule another interview. Now since I had renewed so early because they told me that I’d have to have another interview, when I received my status as Approved, I was confused. There was no place to schedule an interview and no mention of an interview in my approval letter. I called Customs and Border Patrol to inquire about this and 3 people gave me 3 different answers (in the end, none of them were right). I ended up searching online for people who had run into the same problem and found out that if you get Approved, you do NOT need to go in for another interview!

If you get Conditionally Approved, you’ll need to schedule an interview.

If you get Denied, then you’ll need to inquire further and find out why.

4. Once complete, you’ll receive a new Global Entry card in the mail. Once you receive it (mine took about a week), you’ll want to log into your GOES account and activate it.

When you receive your card, log into your GOES account and click on the “Activate Membership Card” button. From there, you’ll enter the security code on the back of your card and follow the prompts. This only take a few seconds and then you’re good to go!

Weiner Schnitzel

Apple Strudel

Spaetzle

Pretzels

Beer

Pastries

Stroopwafels

Dutch Pancakes

Gouda Cheese

Heineken Beer

Bitterballen

Day 1:

Day 2:

Tips for Amsterdam

Spring weather and blue skies in Amsterdam.

An amazing beer hall meal in Munich.

Driving through the Austrian Alps.

Dinner al fresco in Innsbruck.

A foggy morning in Hallstatt.

1. Pick a color scheme.

2. Lay out all the options.

3. Narrow down options.

4. Try everything on.

5. Take photos of outfits and write them down.

6. Set them aside for a few days.

7. Pack your suitcase.

1. You’ll renew through your GOES account online.

2. Once you submit your renewal online, wait until you get an email from the system.

3. 1 of 3 things will occur: A) You’ll get approved. B) You’ll be conditionally approved. C) You’ll be denied.

4. Once complete, you’ll receive a new Global Entry card in the mail. Once you receive it (mine took about a week), you’ll want to log into your GOES account and activate it.

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