Europe — Travel — BOSSY GALS

After two days of exploring Munich, I decided to schedule a last minute tour to Harburg Castle and Rothenburg on Viator. Come Wednesday morning and my fifth day in Munich, I set off to Hauptbahnhof central station extra early in the rain so I could snag a good seat at the front of the bus. I blindly got out the wrong exit and found myself a little lost but a kindly German lady sent me in the right direction and all was right with the world again.

I was hesitant of booking this specific tour as many of the reviewers complained of the long drive and the short time in Rothenburg. That’s the unfortunate downside of booking tours — the amount of time you spend in a location will never be enough. But how often when you’re traveling do you feel as though you’ve spent an adequate amount of time in a place? Unless you have the luxury of being able to spend weeks in a locale, and even then, I think it’s hard to find that you’ve truly experienced everything you possibly could from a city. I find a certain beauty in enjoying a place so much you’re left with It. You can’t explain what It is — you needed just a little more of It. It is what fuels the desire to walk down every street, fill every museum, walk through every garden, climb every mountain, and step across every bridge. It is what pushes you and drives you to pack your bags, throw caution to the wind, and set off to see the world.

Perhaps my years of traveling throughout countries in vans and buses prepared me, but I didn't find the drive to be too long. Moreover, only 1/3 of the trains in Munich were operating due to a rail strike so this would have been a logistical nightmare for me had I been planning to get around on my own. I was more than happy to sit back and be comfortably transported around so I settled into my seat and gleefully stared out the window as we set off on the Romantic Road to Schloss (castle) Harburg.

Situated on a hill, Harburg Castle is one of the oldest, largest, and best-preserved castle fortifications in Germany. It was an important military stronghold during the 11th and 12th centuries and has never been seriously damaged during battles.

Visiting Linderhof and Neuschwanstein was an incredible experience because it was my first time seeing a castle outside of Disney World and Disney Land, and as magnificent as they were, they were more akin to palaces. Harburg Castle, on the other hand, was a real castle with a Wall Walk, replete with loopholes, arrow loops, and murder holes to pour acid or hot oil onto the enemy, as well as a dungeon and torture room. I embraced my inner nerd and LARPer at heart because the entire time I was walking through the castle I was imagining my long gowns and cape trailing around my feet or the weight of my armor as I was notching my crossbow. Someone needs to protect the Iron Throne!

After a tour of Harburg Castle and a walk through the gift shop which used to be the bakery, I set off towards Rothenburg ob der Tauber, the most perfectly preserved medieval town in Europe. In the Middle Ages, Rothenburg was Germany’s second-largest city, with a bustling population of 6,000. It had been rainy and cloudy up until leaving Harburg but the moment I got to Rothenburg the wind began blowing celestially and the sun gloriously emerged.

*Medieval town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber*

*Nutcracker guarding the Christmas Village*

*Rothenburg ob der Tauber is Germany's Christmas capital*

Rothenburg is an unbelievably magical city straight out of a fairy tale. It feels as though you're walking on a movie set which only becomes a million times better when you realize you've stepped out of a time machine. The perfectly intact town walls, larded with towers and gateways, still fully enclose the center of the city, and you’re able to walk on the ramparts to admire the various perspectives of the city's beautiful buildings, walls, and alleys. I ditched my paper map and decided to wander aimlessly in the Market Square, alleyways, and Castle Garden. I walked down cobbled streets and roamed through passageways — weaving, twisting, turning as I felt inclined. I then proceeded to climb the dusty stairs up to the ramparts and when I delightfully found myself up there alone the way you only can when you visit off season, I did what any normal, reasonable person would do — I began filming videos for my very own travel show.

*Walking the walls of Rothenburg ob der Tauber*

I fell in love with the enchanting town of Rothenburg, and standing in the Market Square I promised myself I would return (hopefully soon) to see the Christmas Markets and stay overnight to venture around at night. Going through my photo album, my hair is crazy from the morning rain, my sunglasses were broken so I had to settle with a cheap pair I had thrown in my bag last minute, and the angle and lighting is off in virtually every picture, but none of that matters because when I look at every single one of these pictures, I see pure, unadulterated happiness radiating from my face, and I can recall exactly how I felt as if I was there now. Sitting on the garden wall, staring out at the beautiful scenery of the pastoral valley surrounding Rothenburg, my heart soaring and leaping out of my chest, I felt something inside of me switch back on — a desire to purge the negativity that had been consuming my life and the determination to once again live deliberately.

*View of Rothenburg from the Castle Garden*

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Travel Journal » Madness For Manny In Munich

Monday morning and my third day in Munich brought my first day of being on my own. My friend had flown into Munich for work so my week ahead was empty in plans but filled with enthusiasm to seek out adventure. I had booked a tour to Salzburg on Thursday but besides that my schedule was open to come and go as I pleased. Prior to leaving for Germany, I had done some research to get an idea of activities I wanted to do and places I wanted to see, but I also wanted to be flexible to new opportunities.

Outside of venturing to foreign places by myself for school, traveling has always been with someone I was dating, in large groups, or with my family — so basically, never alone. I had grown accustomed to moving around with someone else and sharing experiences so I was in uncharted territory, literally and figuratively. Despite feeling apprehensive, I was looking forward to challenging myself.

After sleeping in and working on a few articles in the hotel room, I set off to explore the surrounding neighborhood and area. At first I had been hoping to be in a hotel closer to city center but as the days passed I liked how the hotel was further removed from the majority of the tourist areas. Walking down streets and through neighborhoods where locals worked and lived provided a more authentic experience of Munich's culture.

*Rita McBride's 'Mae West' at the Effnerplatz*

My first stop was to a Vodafone retailer where I bought and swapped out my SIM card. This was definitely better than purchasing an international data plan through my wireless carrier as I was able to get more data and minutes for a better price. Sure, I didn’t have my original number but I could call people if I needed through apps like KakaoTalk or Line — my only real need for data was for readily accessing Maps.

I then headed over to a nearby two-level supermarket and spent the next hour perusing the aisles. That may sound like a dull way to spend your time in a new city but I absolutely loved it. The smell of freshly baked bread and sandwiches floated through the aisles and I loved seeing the different array of fresh foods and fruits that were packaged and neatly displayed. I delighted over grocery products in packaging I recognized but words I couldn’t read, and looked uncertainly at foreign products I would never see on shelves in America. Then I bought and ate a sandwich in the café section of the supermarket while I people watched. It was fantastic.

Whenever I’m walking around in Washington D.C. or when I’m out and about on my own I have a tendency to listen to music, as, for the most part, I prefer to exist in my own bubble. Walking around with my headphones in ensures 1) I’m always entertained, but mostly 2) everyone leaves me alone. And perhaps it has a lot to do with 3) never feeling uncomfortable. It's partly why we all constantly stare emptily at our phones every chance we get, isn't it? I decided not to do that in Munich and instead listen to the cars, the buses, people's conversations carrying out into the streets, and the sounds of the city — to the hustle and bustle of everyday life I hastily block out back home.

I allowed myself to get lost for a bit and then headed over towards the English Garden. There’s something enthralling about researching a place and subsequently seeing it in person. I love the sensation of your brain recalling a memory of a picture along with your preconceived idea of what you thought something would be like, and simultaneously combining that with the reality of what you’re looking at — the way it feels to see one of the Wonders of the World or finally be standing in front of an iconic landmark. I felt the same way when I was staring up at the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I had written about the English Garden and the highlights of it so it was surreal to leisurely walk down the paths and across fields I had viewed in pictures and enjoy a beer in front of the Chinese Tower I had been so fascinated with. The entire time I was radiating with light like Yvaine in Stardust — an electrifying buzz of elation pulsating in my brain and coursing through my veins. Mostly, it was a sense of accomplishment, a 'holy shit, I'm really here doing this!' awareness, and feeling really fucking pleased with myself.

*Looking at Munich's skyline from the steps of the Monopteros*

I had been feeling slightly lonely and self-conscious exploring on my own — walking around by myself while I passed couples and groups of friends laughing — but walking through the English Garden, I was overcome with a tremendous sense of peace and tranquility, and for the first time in a long time, I felt comfortable with being uncomfortable. I've always had a tendency to retreat within myself — distancing myself from human experiences and expanding the bubble I exist in. Perhaps I had gradually developed too much complacency in comfort and too big of an aversion towards discomfort. I slowly began to let air out of that bubble, allowing myself to be open to feelings and the world I had carefully disconnected from, and sitting on the steps of the Monopteros, staring across the expansive green landscape towards Munich's skyline dotted with churches, I knew everything was going to be okay.