With the long weekend due to Maria’s Himmelfahrt, we were able to explore a little more of Bavaria. In preparation for my first batch of visitors next month and October, I’ve been gathering some research on the beers and restaurants in the city center of Munich. Mostly I’m checking on restaurant atmosphere, food is typically standard and the price is always a robbery. We also decided this weekend we’d check out Passau, 1.30 hrs northeast of Munich, as our quick trip destination.

Click to View Pictures in Passau

All the stores were closed yesterday in the city center, but surprisingly the museums, tourist bureau, and boat tours were opened. I guess yesterday was not considered a true Feiertag. Passau is unique in that it is situated on a penisula at the interesection where three rivers meet: the Danube or Donau in German (blue in color on good days), the Inn (green in color), and the smaller Ilz (black). There are plenty of park benches to enjoy a picnic or restaurants to eat along the riverfront. We ate at the “Blau Bock” along the Donau, I recommend the Kinder-Schweinebraten and the Hefe-Weisbeer vom Faß. It’s a good normal portion for lunch.

Next time I come here to visit, I will be sure to arrive early to hear the organ play between 12 and 12:30 on the workdays at the St. Stephan’s Dom. The western wall supports 17,774 pipes for what I can only imagine is a booming sound of Gloria in Excelsis Deo when played. The Dom itself is extremely ornate and worth a peek. However, they only play the organ at those times mentioned and at 7:30 pm on Thursdays between May and October.

It did threaten to rain on us a good part of the day, but once we hiked up upper Veste between the Ilz and Danube, the sun broke through and made for a nice afternoon. For those without a car, the train takes one straight there and a Bayern ticket can get you there and back to any other city in Bavaria for 24 Euro for up to 5 people.

I’m Back! And I’m staying for another 2 years or so! Everything went so smoothly in Iserlohn, we were done in less than 45 minutes, resident permit in hand.

Traffic was a mess Friday afternoon. Aparently it’s the start of summer break for all the kiddies living in Bavaria. Each state has a different Summer break window to cut down on vacation traffic, oh well, at least that’s the intent. We arrived in Iserlohn at 11:30 P.M., an hour late.

The next morning we drove to Bonn to visit Alex’s brother, Martin, who is studying medicine at the university. My immediate impression of Bonn was that this place was bombed to hell during WWII, every building is a modern impression from the last 60 years. One would have never guessed this place had its start as one the first Roman settlements on the Rhein River over 2017 years ago.

Martin and his girlfriend, Lydia, gave us the tour and I managed a few fotos, but the sun and heat these past few months scarred the landscape a bit. We walked along the Rhein, toward the UN building and the tall Post Tower and back toward the 12th Bundestag, or Parliament for a tour. The PR guide had plent of information about the building’s architecture and design. The building was never completed because at this time, between 1990 and 1994, there was strong hope (i.e. fall of Berlin Wall) that East and West would reunited and Berlin would again be the capital.

I didn’t want to miss the Guggenheim Collection so I insisted that we stay a few more hours in Bonn. It was not disappointing. If anything it was entirely overwelming to see so many intriging works in one place: Kandinsky, Picaso, Monet, Pollack, Dahli, Warhol, are a few artist I remember on top of my head. I’d like to go back to Bonn just for the ‘Museum mile’ again.

It also looks like I am become more apart of the Gentemann family. Oma is starting to make fun of the fact that I use my hands to communicate when I speak. (Germans usually sit very still and only move their mouths at a rapid pace to express themselves ) I also made her laugh a few times with my incorrect use of the language. I accidently confessed that we live on the streets. It’s an not auf. Opps!

Our visit with Alex’s brother, Roland, and sister-in-law, Tina, was very enjoyable. We were surprised that their baby, Friedrich, was no longer the premi of 4 months ago. He’s so long with lots a baby fat and entirely adorable. He took to Alex’s funny faces right away, giving us a shy smile and every now and then letting us know when he was either hungry or tired. Pretty simple. I picked gifts that were a water theme. Lucky I didn’t pick out a bear because bunnies are prefered. Overall, it was a wonderful weekend.