Photo Book & Girls' Trip to Munich, Germany

Were you wondering about my last post? I managed to do a photo book for my parents' birthdays. I posted it because I am supposed to get a $10 coupon for the post. The cover picture is a little less than disirable, but it is a good reminder for my family to make sure we get at least a couple of good pictures in the future. Otherwise, you will get a random family picture on your photo book. Actually, my parents will appreciate thier cover picture. That picture was a celebration of my Dad's last radiation treatment. I'm still looking forward to the day when my dad beats his cancer. That photo symbolizes a step toward that day. I am happy to report that our prayers for my Dad are working. His PSA is down to 3, which is a great improvement from 9 just a few weeks ago.

Girls' Trip to Munich, Germany

My first trip without my boys! I don't have a problem leaving my kids with the grandparents, but I was a little apprehensive with Daddy Stephen on Mama duty. Stephen did an excellent job taking care of the boys October 20th through October 23rd, while I was having a wonderful time in Munich, Germany. He had the full Mama experience taking the kids to school, going on Brady's field trip, and taking Brantley to Tae Kwon Do. I had a schedule with everything labeled and layed out for him, but I was impressed with how well Stephen managed. So impressed that I am ready to plan my next trip.


Sara and I outside the hotel. We were roomates on this trip. I didn't take a picture of the room, but it had a big floral canopy on the ceiling, and we both had a single bed.


Some of our group outside our hotel. Ten women from the AWA, American Women's Association, went on this fall trip.


The street view from our hotel. The hotel was nice, but I thought it amusing that there was a strip joint called Boobs on the corner of the street.


The hotel was close to the city center. We were able to do a little shopping before finding a place to have dinner.


I loved all the flowers outside Hirmer, the world's largest men's fashion store in the heart of Munich. We didn't go inside, but it looked huge.



We had our first taste of German food at the Ratskeller Restaurant. I enjoyed the veal wiener schnitzel with spaetzle noodles.



Day 2 - Frankie's Bike Tour: This was my first time to do a bike tour. It was fun, relaxing, and a little challeging. The tour covered the majority of the inner city, English gardens, and down the Isar river.








It is tradition to touch three lions' heads for good luck. If you touch four lions' heads then you are greedy.



St. Cajetan's Theatine Church









The bike tour went through the gorgeous English Gardens. The tree's colorful autumn leaves were beautiful.


The map of the English Gardens.


We stopped and had lunch at the second largest beer garden in the world called The Chinese Tower, which is located in the middle of the English Gardens. I had sausage and french fries. The sausage was pretty good. It reminded me of the sausage on a stick I used to get when my parents took me to the San Antonio folk life festival growing up. I had a mug of beer, and it was pretty good too. I'm not a big beer drinker, but this light beer went down pretty well.


It was cool to see a bunch of surfers in this stream. One guy even stripped down to his swim trunks and jumped in. Then he ran a long way before meeting up with someone to get some dry clothes; CRAZY. It was cold.





Day 3 - 10 1/2 hour tour to Linderhol Castle, the town of Oberammergua for shopping, and Nuenswanstein Castle.









This is where the Passion Play is held.