Munich and Melissa

Five days after returning from the U.S. to Warsaw, Mark and I were off again to meet up with our Melissa in Munich, Germany!

Melissa was coming to spend Christmas with us in Poland, but we decided to meet in Munich so we could sample the Christmas markets there.  Though we had seen her at the beginning of the month in Utah, meeting Melissa in Europe was exciting for us!

Melissa had a whirlwind week prior to coming to Europe…finals…a grad school field trip to the Bay Area of California ….visiting friends and mission acquaintances while there….then home to Utah.  She was home for less than 24 hours, then left to fly across the Atlantic…to see us! 

Our flight was late leaving Warsaw, so Melissa arrived in Munich before Mark and I left Poland…but she patiently waited (not that she had a choice) until we arrived a couple of hours later.  Though tired, we thought she looked great and looked forward to having some Melissa time!

We ate lunch at a restaurant right inside the airport….feasting on a pretzel, German potato salad (the best), and traditional pork cutlet.  It felt so good to visit and reconnect with Melissa….who was much more relaxed without the stress of school on her mind.

In between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 of the Munich airport…we saw our first Christmas Market in Germany.  Mark and Melissa even enjoyed a gingerbread treat!

We checked into our hotel…gave Melissa time to rest and then were ready to walk the streets of Munich and see some of the Christmas Markets we had heard so much about.

I loved the Christmas trees and decorations in Munich.  Melissa is standing in front of the hotel's Christmas tree….it is beautiful…though a very different style than one might see in the U.S.

Riding the S-Bahn to downtown Munich became very familiar to us over the next 3 days.

Though a cold and rainy evening... we made the most of our time and enjoyed the ambiance and being outside together. 

Mark and I had visited Munich the previous February…but the familiar areas looked quite different filled with Christmas Market booths, larger crowds, Christmas lights and trees.  So beautiful!

Below is one of many "Munich Christmas Market" signs we saw….there were at least 20 markets in Munich alone…and most towns, cities and villages throughout Germany had their own markets.

Mark wanted to purchase some fresh gingerbread, and this was one of many stops in his search.  Alas, the gingerbread hearts in this picture required an oven to warm and soften….something we didn't have in Munich.

The largest Christmas Market in Munich was at the heart of the city center…Marienplatz…with the Town Hall and 100-foot-tall Christmas tree in the background.

Throughout the rows of booths, traditional Bavarian Christmas gifts, food and drinks could be found. Wood carvings, scarves, hats, gloves, gingerbread (Lebkuchen), hot wine, and beautiful art.  Melissa found some gifts to take back to people in the U.S....not to mention a few things for herself.

Everyone knows the opening line from The Christmas Song…."Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…".  Mark bought some roasted chestnuts from an outdoor vendor.  They smelled good….

 ….but unfortunately, none of us really liked eating them.  Too little flavor, and too chewy….not crunchy like we expected. That was disappointing. They must be a winter treat to have grown up with…or an acquired taste.

It was fun to try various treats being sold in the booths.  But we needed a real meal, preferably German. We found a restaurant in an older part of the city center…serving pork knuckle, potato salad, sauerkraut, bread, etc. 

My favorite part of the meal was the dessert….apple strudel.  Sorry, no picture….we ate it too fast!

Our first night in Germany was cold and wet….but we still enjoyed being outside....and the weather definitely did not keep people away.

Merry Christmas season from Germany….from Mark, Melissa and Jackie

Beautiful Munich!