Author Archives: Brittany

• Bike, Jog, Hike

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on May 18, 2020

  I have a confession: I make poor choices often in my life. I’m learning how to accept this about myself and have compassion, opposed to beating myself up and calling myself a failure every time a poor choice occurs. Often my poor choices are related to my diet and my lifestyle, but I AM HUMAN and sometimes I get sucked into the comfortable pull of what my life “used to be like.”

  When I didn’t have to think about what I ate, or the intensity of my exercise, I could just do…what I wanted. 

  

  A recent series of poor choices began after I bought a bag of coffee. Coffee and I are not the best of friends, but I have come to accept that I will likely forever try to be friends with her. The problem is – sometimes coffee works, and sometimes it doesn’t. This hot/cold temper of my old friend makes it difficult to fully kick the habit.

  It’s very easy for me to fall into the addictive nature of coffee. Coffee to me was never something I drank for the physical boost (although it was nice) until more recent times. When I take long breaks from coffee and then enjoy a cup the energy hits me in ways I then begin to crave.

  As someone who struggles with fatigue, the surge of coffee makes me feel like I’m invincible.

  

  

  I go long stretches of time without coffee, but somehow it always calls me back. After endless trial and error I am learning it’s not just the coffee, it’s often what I pair my coffee with, or HOW MUCH coffee I have that causes an issue. I decided to buy a bag last month and told myself I would ration it.

  I drank it two days in a row and felt good, so of course I continued to push the boundaries.

  The problem arose on the second day of consumption, when I went for a long bike ride, a 30 minute jog/walk, and a small hike. All three…in one day. For a normal body this wouldn’t be a big deal, but for an easily overtaxed body this was a lot. I have found a decent balance between pushing myself and resting, but the problem wasn’t this specific day of activity, the problem was it left me wanting more.

  

  More coffee/rice cakes (big no no for me), more running, more long days in the sun, more, more, more. The days to follow I kept drinking coffee, I kept trying to jog, I kept biking, and my body started talking. I didn’t want to listen, but after a week of this I knew I had to stop. I am listening to my body better than I used to, but I still make these choices sometimes.

  I regret nothing, because this day of adventure was so much fun it was worthy of this blog post. 

  This day of adventure took me on my bike to Eschenlohe, one of my favorite towns to bike to. I stopped halfway and jogged for 30 minutes (more like jog/walk) and it surprisingly felt good. Once in Eschenlohe, I hiked up to a small church I had seen many times to enjoy a small view below. I also found a creepy cave and walked through it, and the lights flickered off at one point causing my life to flash before my eyes.

  It was really a very lovely day.

  

  

  

  All of this rambling is to say I’m not perfect (not that anyone ever thought I was) with my lifestyle, and I continue to struggle often. The positive in this is that I am better today with my choices than I was yesterday, and so on. I know drinking less coffee on a stomach full of food helps me to feel “ok,” and these loopholes keep me coming back.

  Sometimes it’s ok to be a human being, to make choices you know you might regret. What’s not ok is letting these choices control you or your day. For so long I would be controlled by my actions, and I am still a work in progress, but it’s a progression I don’t intend to quit improving at. I keep shifting, keep trying, and keep learning the best way to honor my body, while still doing things I enjoy.

  One thing I no longer do is reward myself with sugar after a long workout. 

  

  I continued to drink coffee daily for about three weeks, and I found a good balance of foods to eat with the coffee. I cut out the foods that I know don’t work during these three weeks, but eventually my body said: “YO, please stop.” I also stopped trying to run (Brittany, let this go – you don’t even enjoy running.)

  What started as a difficult time of stillness in my life (being on LWOP), transitioned into a time of self discovery. These discoveries are continual, and will shift as time goes on. For the first time since my life started to really change in my mid 20’s I am finding excitement in these moments of discovery. Most of the time. 😉

  I’m also more proud of my physical accomplishments these days, and compare myself to others far less. Baby steps. 

  Q: What is one lifestyle choice you continue to come back to, even when it’s not always the best choice for you? GRAINS ARE NOT MY FRIEND, and coffee needs to be moderated. 

  

  | 35 Comments Tagged Brittanys Life Abroad, Coffee

• Hiking From Germany to Austria

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on May 14, 2020

  I have driven to Austria from Germany many times, I have even biked to Austria from Germany twice, it only made sense the next step would be hiking to Austria from Germany. I don’t know where the bursts of energy came from for me, aside from the fact I have been diligent in keeping my carb intake balanced, but just a couple days after my long bike ride my roommate and I went for a long hike.

  

  I had wanted to hike to the Hochthörle Hütte since I first head about it last summer. I knew there was a trail along the base of Lake Eibsee so when my roommate asked me if I wanted to go for a hike on her day off I immediately knew where I wanted to go.

  

  View of lake from above.

  I assumed the trail (from where we live) would take us TO the lake, where we would then look for the trail up the mountain, however the trail we took never took us down to the lake. The trail instead continued to climb around the lake. I didn’t mind this, as I felt we were saving time avoiding going down just to go back up.

  

  

  Everything was fine and dandy for the first few hours, it was a beautiful day and we were seeing a new view of the lake. Energy was good, spirits were high, and the views along the way were continually changing. My roommate MaryBeth is my favorite person to hike with, and I always feel relaxed when we’re together.

  I felt relaxed 99% of the time of this hike, until the terrain changed. 

  

  Unexpectedly, with the flip of a switch, we hit the white blankets of death. I made the same mistake last April of thinking the snow would all be melted, but we’re in the middle of the Bavarian Alps…how could I make this same mistake twice? I assumed the elevation of this hike would be low enough to avoid any snow, but I was mistaken.

  The snow wasn’t immobilizing, but it was deep in some spots. One wrong step sent us slipping knee deep into icy sharp snow. I now have a scar on my calf from this hike! We had already been hiking for around four hours, and were very close to the Hütte, so we didn’t dare turn around now just because of the snow.

  

  Our spirits were still high, and we were determined to make it to the Hütte (by this time we were already in Austria, the Hütte is just on the other side of an invisible border.) The snow began to slow us down, and my map continued to say we were 15 minutes from our destination.

  It said 15 minutes for close to 45 minutes. Something was off. 

  

  By this time it was nearing 1500, and we had been hiking for five hours. We were still doing great on daylight, but we were both loosing interest in finding the Hütte. We made it within 0.4 miles of the Hütte before calling it a day. My old brain would have told me how ridiculous I was for turning around within FOUR TENTHS of a mile, but my current brain was O-V-E-R I-T.

  

  The remaining 0.4 miles were down slippery snow roads, and that’s when we knew it was time to call it. We sat where we stopped, ate a bit of food, and turned around for the ten miles back home. We left home around 1030, and arrived back around 2000. If MaryBeth and I hadn’t had a handful of other successful hikes, I’d say we were cursed to always attempt hikes we had to turn around on.

  We hiked 20 miles into Austria and back, and managed to catch both golden hour and the sunset on the mountains, I’d call that a success.

  

  

  Do I wish we had made it to the Hütte? Of course. Am I mad we didn’t? No. The day was full of laughs and great company, and our sore muscles reminded us of our crazy adventure into Austria…during a travel ban. What can I say, we’re rebels. 😉 (That, and I don’t think it counts as problematic when its in the mountains and you see zero other humans.)

  That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. 

  Q: Have you ever gotten this close to a destination and decided to call it quits? 

  

  | 25 Comments Tagged Austria, Brittanys Life Abroad, Hiking

• Currently

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on May 11, 2020

  Life the past month has been interesting to say the least. The hotel I work at closed to the public at the end of March, and I have been on leave without pay (LWOP-by choice/they asked if I would be willing to do this) since 28 March. I could have flown back to the states in the middle of April, but that was a risk I wasn’t willing to take.

  I wanted to wait out the Coronavirus storm, although at this point I don’t think the storm will be passing anytime soon.

  Financially I am stable, which allowed me to accept LWOP without consequence, and aside from the initial lack of routine (I’ve since created a routine I enjoy) – being able to live in Germany (for free) without any responsibilities at the moment is amazing. The hotel continues to push the open date, and as of right now we are scheduled to open the beginning of June.

  

  Hike views.

  

  Bike views.

  Select shops in Bavaria have reopened, and life in the mountains has remained the same. Part of why I chose to stay in Germany on LWOP opposed to flying back to the states was because of the freedom I still have here. I am able to go outside and be active however I please (within social distance guidelines), and I wouldn’t have been able to do that back in Washington.

  I’ve been spending my free time doing a myriad of things, like walking, biking, hiking, reading, journaling/writing, watching movies, and reflecting. I can’t remember a time when I was forced to slow down like this, and at first it was a literal shock to my system. I went from 60 to 0 in a matter of days – from a life of non stop travel and work, to a life of stillness.

  

  Bike views.

  

  Hike views.

  In the beginning I had days where I feel like I was useless to society, but then I remind myself we are in the midst of a pandemic. Although I am not working I technically still have a job, but even if I didn’t have a job, that would be ok too. I worked hard for my money, and I shouldn’t feel guilty about temporarily living off my savings.

  Besides, if I were working right now, I would be doing deep cleaning tasks and I just don’t want to do that.

  I trust God, and I trust I will be ok regardless of what’s to come the next few months. I have extended my time here until September, but anything can happen between now and then. I am challenging myself to be alone with my thoughts more which has been amazingly therapeutic and helpful in my growth.

  

  Bike views.

  

  Hike views.

  I am consistently meeting with the local chaplain for counseling, and I am loving the progress I have made. Digging deep and working through suppressed trauma has been both essential and helpful. I have a long way to go, but this has been a nice jump start. I am trying to shift my perfectionist mindset from “you’re being lazy by not working” to “you are using this time to grow as a person.”

  Of all places to be stuck during a global pandemic, I consider myself immensely blessed to be “stuck” in Bavaria. 

  

  Bike views.

  I’m challenging myself to learn new things with my free time, and I recently overcame a fear I had with regard to my bike. My bike is officially one year old, and she was in need of some love, so I gave her a bath. In my bathtub/shower. It wasn’t perfect, but I worked with what I had. My chain needed love and lube, and she’s as good as new now. 

  In the past I had always taken my bike to the shop for a tune up, mostly because I was intimidated by the thought of doing anything myself. The bike shops here were closed at the time, so I decided to do it myself. The chain no longer squeaks of thirst, and riding her feels like it did when I first bought her. Little things like this remind me I am capable of more than I think.

  

  Instead of looking at this down time as a negative, I have shifted my perspective to view this as a positive. I will never again live in Germany like this for free with the opportunity to fully submerge myself in nature. I’m not feeling the guilt of wasting my time off, because my time off is endless right now and travel is not an option.

  I’m essentially playing tourist in my own city, visiting new and old places. I am thankful for this time to reflect, and to reinvent a part of who I am. 

  

  Hike views.

  

  Journaling views.

  I’ve been more in tune with my body the last month as well, listening to what she needs. I’m not perfect, and I still make choices that don’t make me feel my best, but I am having an easier time bouncing back. It helps being able to sleep in until 0700/0800 instead of 0530. Time away from the stressful hustle and bustle that is customer service always reminds me just how damaging it can be to my health.

  All of this to say I am doing ok. It took a bit of time for me to let go of my anxiety surrounding the uncertainty of life right now, but at the end of the day little to none of this is within my control. I take each day as it comes, and compassionately bring myself back to earth when I get overwhelmed by the thought of what’s next.

  So for now, I will continue with my small routines which include daily exploration of this place I currently call home. 

  

  Hike views.

  Q: How are you currently? 

  

  | 31 Comments Tagged Biking, Europe, Garmisch, Germany, Hiking

• Staffelsee Spin

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on May 7, 2020

  Some days my body is so fatigued the only thing that will get me going is a cup of coffee and an entire chocolate bar. I feel so worn out from just existing that my body feels like it has aged decades overnight (not to say there aren’t some extremely spry elderly women!)  And some days my body feels good, light, and full of energy.

  Two days after my bike ride to Linderhof I had a surge of energy and ran with it, errr biked with it.

  

  I woke up the morning of this ride and pulled open my map. I looked for something close enough to bike to, but far enough that I hadn’t been yet. I found a wetland area I never realized existed called Murnauer Moos and chose this as my destination.

  I packed my bag, and set off for an adventure.

  

  The first part of this ride is one I have done many times, and it has become almost meditative for me. Biking as a whole is often something I do when I need to shut my brain off, or when I need to process something. I can easily get on my bike and zone out for hours.

  This is sort of what happened on this day.

  The only things that brought me back to reality were my stomach pangs, and my need for direction after I left the area I was familiar with. My fuel of choice lately when biking or hiking longer distances has been potatoes, chicken breasts, apples, and hardboiled eggs. I’m amazed at the difference in energy I have when I keep it simple.

  

  As I found my way onto the above photographed road I was in awe of my surroundings. I’ve lived in Bavaria for 16 months, yet I continue to find new nooks and crannies that make me feel like I just moved here. I could have ridden a never-ending stretch of this road for hours.

  The Murnauer Moos ended up being a bit further than I expected, but I had all day and didn’t sweat it (didn’t figuratively sweat it, I was most definitely literally sweating it.) I eventually found the wetland trails, and the path was flat and windy with endless mountain views. I was a bit surprised how many other humans I saw out and about on the wetland trails, but it was nice.

  

  After about 30 minutes on this path, I came to a sign pointing in multiple different directions. On the sign was a distance and estimated time of arrival for the town of Murnau, as well as a nearby lake called Staffelsee. Before deciding on the Murnauer Moos, I thought about biking to Murnau/Staffelsee, but worried it would be too far.

  Sometimes I worry about going too far from home and exhausting myself. I often have more energy than I give myself credit for, but I also fear overexerting myself because this often leads to an immune flare up. I tend to get so wrapped up in my ride, and I can easily get hours away from home, which means I’ll have to have energy to get back.

  

  I used to hike on empty all the time because I didn’t think I needed to eat food to refuel (what a concept.) I’ve since learned to fuel as I go, but I still worry at times I will crash and then be stuck too far from home. I realize I’m dramatic, but these are the things I think about. These are the things I HAVE to think about.

  I get a little less anxious when the world is functioning normally, but with Covid I worry about trains running normally, and the language barrier always makes things a bit awkward. Alas, living my life in fear will get me no where, and when I saw that I was only about 40 minutes from the lake I decided to keep going.

  

  Just around the corner from this church was a trail that ended up being a 3 mile round trip walk to the lake. I was feeling stubborn and my mind needed an official end destination for the day, so the lake ended up being the destination. Despite my aforementioned anxiety about getting too far, I also like to push the limits of my ability because it makes me feel in control of my autoimmune disease.

  Not the smartest, but I’m human what can I say.

  

  I made it to the lake, and I have to admit the area I walked to was a bit anticlimactic. I could have done without this extra trek, but I was proud of the distance I covered. I was anxious when it came time to turn around, but I ended up surprising myself with the energy I still had. This tends to be the case, I self doubt far too often.

  I rode 45 miles round trip, which is the longest bike ride I’ve done thus far. It’s no Seattle to Portland (which I would love to do sometime), but it’s a start. 

  

  1hr 57min is a joke. It took me three hours to get to the bench.

  If this ride taught me anything, aside from how beautiful Bavaria is, it’s that I am my own worst critic. I am capable of more than I give myself credit for, and while I do try to honor my body and its needs, sometimes pushing the limits is necessary for mental peace. This adventure came with a cost, and I was one with my bed the following day, but in the end it was worth it.

  This is what life with an autoimmune disease is like, we must carefully choose activities,  foods, and stressors. If we make a choice we know will result in discomfort we have to accept this and weigh whether the action is worth the pain. I’m still learning to navigate the balance of choosing activities I know will cause me to be out of commission for a bit, but at the end of the day I would rather have one epic day with two down days, than no epic days at all.

  Q: Would you rather go a distance you know you can complete round trip, or push your limits and go further than you think you’re capable of? I often find I am always capable…even if it hurts. 

  

  | 32 Comments Tagged Bavaria, Biking, Brittanys Life Abroad, Germany

• Brașov, România – Pt. 2

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on May 4, 2020

  After a lovely introduction to the city of Brasov during our free walking tour, my roommate at I headed back to our Air B & B for a quick rest and refuel. My main objective in Brasov was to hike up to the Brasov sign for a better view of the city. I found the trail head the day before, and planned to hike to the sign in the afternoon after our walking tour.

  The Brasov sign is a replica of the Hollywood sign, and sits at a comfortable 955m.

  

  The hike itself is by no means difficult, however it did elevate my heart rate which was nice. If you’re not feeling up for the climb, there is also a cable car that will take visitors to the summit. My roommate chose to take the cable car up, and I chose to hike up and take the cable car down.

  The weather was perfect the entire time we were in Romania, and this day was no exception. The sun was out and it was relatively warm, allowing me to work up a sweat. Those who know me know I love sweating, I literally feel the toxins sliding down my skin. You’re welcome for that mental image.

  The trail was easy to follow, and I relished in the moments of quiet I had. It took me about 50 minutes to get to the top.

  

  

  Follow the triangles.

  I couldn’t help but look around and think to myself, “I am in the middle of the woods in Romania.” It was a surreal thought, and I remember becoming teary eyed. I felt such a wave of peace and gratitude for the ability to travel. Before I began traveling on a regular basis hiking alone (granted, this was in the middle of the city) in Romania would have given me anxiety, but now it’s liberating.

  I made it to the top and I walked towards the Brasov sign for a view of the city below. I then continued up towards a platform I thought would be more isolated. Not only was this location full of other humans, there were two platforms with couples sitting on them to enjoy the view. I waited for about ten minutes hoping one of the pairs would move, but no one moved.

  

  

  I wanted this tourist photo of me, sitting on the platform with the city down below to showcase my accomplishment of climbing the mountain, but instead these selfish people with their jackets, jeans, and purses (who clearly took the cable car up) hogged the location. Needless to say, I was a little bitter that I did the work of climbing and didn’t get to enjoy the platform…because I am five years old.

  My roommate had already been waiting long enough, so I called this a loss, put my big girl pants on to enjoy the view one last time, and headed towards the cable car for the ride down. The cable car down took all of five minutes, and was a worthy reward for doing the hard work of climbing up.

  

  After our adventures up Tampa Mountain, we wandered the city a bit more and I found a shop selling raw desserts. Despite the fact that certain ingredients within raw treats make me feel off, I am a sucker for vegan desserts. I by no means associate “vegan” with healthy, but it momentarily takes me back to a time in my life when eating food was…simple.

  Until it wasn’t. Alas, the treats were delicious.

  

  Raw tiramisu and raw brownie.

  The remainder of the day was spent solo wandering around the city, ending at a popular restaurant suggested to me twice for their Sarmale. A friend from the states had been to Brasov, and told me to eat dinner at La Ceaun. Then our tour guide Diana also suggested this place to eat for authentic Romanian food, so I decided to try it.

  I ordered Sarmale, a traditional Romanian cabbage dish stuffed with meat. I was disappointed to see how quickly the food reached my table after I ordered, leading me to believe the restaurant pre-makes the food and reheats when ordered. My food was lukewarm confirming this suspicion.

  My meal tasted good, but my experience was tainted by the lack of freshness. 

  

  I soaked up the calm energy of the evening, before heading back to the Air B & B to rest. The following morning we had a few hours to spare before heading back to the airport, and we decided to go back into town for breakfast. I found an adorable place called La Birou Bistro, where I enjoyed the most amazing avocado toast of my life.

  

  

  I mean look at those eggs. They glisten with perfection. Our waiter, along with everyone else we met in Romania, was unbelievably kind. With full bellies we finished packing our stuff to head back to Bucharest. I drove us to the airport in the small bus, which wasn’t as terrible as I anticipated. I literally feel like I can drive anywhere with anything after my time living in Europe.

  Except stick shift…aka the most important lesson I could have learned while living here. 

  

  Bistro on the left, we sat in the area where those two people are.

  Romania was such a pleasant surprise of a trip. Rich with history, culture, and beauty. I have officially been to Eastern Europe now, and I hope to visit more countries nearby when the world starts to breathe again. We arrived back in Germany just in time for shit to hit the fan in the world, and our timing couldn’t have been better.

  I am thankful my last trip was such a positive one, and I’m thankful I didn’t have to cancel it.

  

  

  Q: Am I being dramatic about the Tampa Mountain platform hogs?? LOL.

  

  | 12 Comments Tagged Brasov, Brittanys Life Abroad, Europe, Hiking, Romania, Tampa Mountain, Travel Abroad

• Brașov, România – Pt. 1

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on May 1, 2020

  The final stop on my Romanian tour, was to the Transylvanian town of Brasov. Brasov is considered to be the heart of Romania. It is one of the most important economic and cultural cities in the country. Settled along one of the oldest trade routes between Wallachia, Moldavia and Transylvania, this beautiful city is full of history, mystery, and traditions.

  The drive to Brasov crosses the Carpathian Mountains through the Timis and Prahova valleys. The city is placed in the inner Carpathian curve, at the foot of Tampa Mountain.

  

  Our Air B & B in Brasov couldn’t have been more perfect. A five minute walk from the market, five minute walk from Tampa Mountain, and a ten minute walk to the center of town. Not to mention the interior was aesthetically pleasing and cozy.

  

  

  

  We arrived in Brasov around 1400, and unlike our arrival in Bucharest, I wanted to explore the area right away. My roommate stayed back and enjoyed the apartment to herself for a bit, and I headed towards Tampa Mountain. I wanted to get an idea of where the trail was that led to the Brasov Sign, a popular hiking destination (think Hollywood- but Brasov.)

  I found the trail, as well as another furry friend. Brasov was no exception to the “cats are everywhere” rule, and I was living for it.

  

  

  Brasov sign on the hill.

  

  

  As you can see in the above photo, Brasov is a walled in city. The path along the base of Tampa Mountain provides a sizeable view of the medieval protective barrier. I have been to a handful of walled in cities, but Brasov is one of the most in tact I have seen (along with Rothenburg.)

  Upon first glance from a slight elevation, Brasov’s walled in buildings looked overwhelming, but upon exploration I quickly learned it was an easy city to navigate.

  After my premature exploration, I settled into our Air B & B for the evening to prepare for the following day. We had two days in Brasov, and we originally planned to do a free walking tour with the same company we tagged along with in Bucharest, however we caught the company on their last day for the unforeseeable future while in Bucharest.

  Thankfully we found Diana, (a local woman) through another website who was giving free walking tours, and she did a great job. 

  

  View of city from one corner of the wall.

  

  Before we met up with the tour we stopped by a local coffee shop for a hit of caffeine, which was conveniently located next to a local bakery, where we stopped for a hit of sugar. The americano at Velo Coffee was good, but the barista who made it was great. A beautiful Romanian man as kind as butter is smooth.

  The decorations inside of Velo were just my style, and if I were a local I could easily sit inside for hours working on blog posts.

  

  

  I literally had no idea what this cake was, some kind of chocolate coconut called “Negresa”, and it was divine.

  Our tour began in The Council Square, a beautiful location where I later enjoyed an authentic Romanian dinner. We arrived early with time to kill, and noticed there was a smaller, but just as beautiful branch of Cărturești Carusel across from the square.

  We went in for a glance, and I was transported back to the fairytale land of adventure and mystery.

  

  

  Council Square

  Unsure of how the turnout for our tour would be, I was pleasantly surprised to discover a total of eleven people accompanying Diana for two hours walking around the interior and exterior walls of Brasov. Diana talked about things we had already learned, like communism, the three regions of Romania, and Romania’s most popular dishes.

  Overall, it was nice to have someone guide us in and out of the streets with specific history that related to Brasov, and Diana was one of the kindest people I have ever met. She invited us to ask her questions both before and after the tour (in her own spare time) with regard to Brasov. We were lucky to find her for this tour and as with everything else we experienced, her tours ended shortly after our visit due to the Coronavirus.

  

  

  

  One of my favorite places on our tour was a street I later visited for a second time on my own to fully soak in the experience, called Strada Sforii (or Rope Street.) This is the most narrow street in Brasov, and was originally used as a corridor for firemen to use. Now the street is simply a tourist attraction filled with multicolored walls, and “so and so was here” like graffiti.

  

  

  Other honorable mentions during this walking tour of the city were all the walls of graffiti, which added a type of charm. Brasov was worlds different from Bucharest with regard to the residual “run down” vibe of the communist times. Brasov has a medieval feel, with less sketchy buildings that look as if they could collapse with the force of a sneeze.

  And of course, no tour would be complete without the sighting of more Romanian felines. 

  

  

  

  

  Our tour ended in time for me to grab a bite to eat before heading up Tampa Mountain for a closer look at the Brasov sign. More on that and on our final morning in Brasov before heading back to Bucharest in my next post. 🙂

  Q: Do you find graffiti charming, or destructive? 

  

  | 15 Comments Tagged Brasov, Brittanys Life Abroad, Romania

• Transylvania Tour

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on April 28, 2020

  After spending some time in Bucharest, my roommate and I went off on an adventure north to Transylvania. I, like most people, associate Romania with Transylvania – the mystical home of Dracula the legendary vampire, created by author Bram Stoker in his 1897 novel of the same name.

  Though Dracula is a purely fictional creation, Stoker named his infamous character after a real person who happened to have a taste for blood: Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia or as he is better known: Vlad the Impaler. The morbid nickname is a testament to the Wallachian prince’s favorite way of dispensing of his enemies.

  

  I would argue the real Dracula’s taste for blood was much worse than the fictional character. According to one of our tour-guides in Bucharest, Vlad would take a stake, coat it with pigs fat, and impale his victims between the buttocks. I will spare you the details, as they are quite gruesome, but if you are up for the cringe you can read more in this article.

  Dracula history aside, Bran Castle (in the town of Bran) is a must see. The castle sits atop a hill looking over the city below, and the inner courtyard is one of the loveliest I’ve seen. The town itself is quite small, and the castle is what brings in most people. We were lucky we visited Bran on the day we did, because the next day the castle closed due to the Coronavirus.

  Our walking tour in Bucharest also had to close the day after we partook. We were literally one day ahead of everything closing. 

  

  

  

  As a result of Corona starting to spread, there were little to no tourists in any of the cities we visited in Romania. Going in March likely helped as well, March is not a hugely popular travel month. Dracula’s castle was the only thing “I had to see” when I decided to visit Romania, and I am thankful I made it just in time.

  

  

  

  The path leading towards the castle takes you through a mini market of sorts, with vendors selling local products like cheese and meat, as well as handmade items. This was something I noticed driving into Transylvania, handfuls of vendors along the sides of the road selling items like honey, alcohol, and trinkets.

  I saw three cats and three dogs in Bran. The dogs were in a pack, and the cats were each on their own (naturally – which is why cats are my spirit animal.) My favorite cat was the below photographed scowling puss who was going in and out of the castle restaurant like he owned the place.

  

  

  Bran Castle was a bucket list visit for me, but arguably superior to Bran is Peleș Castle, a Neo-Renaissance castle in the Carpathian Mountains, near Sinaia. Sinaia is technically about 31 miles from Transylvania – but it’s close enough to be included in this post. Peleș Castle was the summer home of King Carol I (whom I briefly mentioned in my previous post) and I have never, ever, seen ANYTHING like it.

  

  The town of Sinaia is a mountain town, and this town convinced me I needed to return to Romania someday for hiking. The castle is tucked into the mountainous woods, with an immaculate view of the surrounding landscapes. I regrettably didn’t go inside this castle, because we visited Peleș Castle before going to Bran, and I didn’t want to miss my opportunity to go inside Bran.

  In hindsight, we would have had time for both, but alles gut. 

  

  King Carol I

  

  I did spend more time wandering the exterior of Peleș than Bran, which felt endless. The grounds are also home to Pelisor Castle, a smaller version of Peleș with more of a German texture style if you ask me. Peleș also has a bit of German influence with the criss cross lines on the exterior. Only makes sense with a German king.

  

  Both castles were 10/10 visits, and the moment time travel is figured out I plan to go back to King Carol I times to visit his summer home with him. I did say he was a babe after all, and Peleș Castle is almost as beautiful as he was. 😉

  Q: What’s the most unique castle you’ve ever visited (or seen in photographs if you haven’t been to a castle?) Peleș Castle is officially the most unique castle I’ve seen thus far.

  

  | 17 Comments Tagged Bran Castle, Brittanys Life Abroad, Dracula, Europe, Peleș Castle, Romania, Transylvania

• București, România

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on April 25, 2020

  I was fortunate enough to squeeze in one final trip before the world started to shut down in the middle of March, and my last adventure was to Romania. I know I have said certain countries weren’t on my radar before, but really and truly I never imagined I would visit Romania. I can confidently say I will return, solely for the purpose of getting lost in the mountains, but today we will talk about Romania’s capital city, Bucharest.

  

  We’ll start at the beginning, when my roommate and I left our room at 0500 to catch a bus to the Munich airport. I didn’t sleep well the night before, and my body ended up having a bit of a Sjögren’s flare with all the travel. Thankfully our Air B & B in Romania (pictured above) was an amazing sight for tired eyes.

  But before we made it to the Air B & B, we had to get our rental car.

  This was a comical encounter – as we had asked for a small car and were given a van. A VAN. My roommate was the first driver on this trip, but navigating a somewhat busy city in a small bus was something that triggered anxiety in us both. Me as a passenger, her as a driver. Thankfully we found our Air B & B fairly easily and decided to spend the remainder of the day inside – sleeping.

  Pro tip: don’t just pick a cheap place to sleep, pick a place you actually want to be inside just incase you arrive and need to rest.

  

  We had one full day in Bucharest (after our arrival day), so our plan was to tag along with two free walking tours. One in the morning, and one in the afternoon. Walking tours are my favorite way to see a city when I have limited time. Bucharest is full of history, but one of the first things we noticed about this city was how run down it looked.

  In the early 20th century, Bucharest came to be known as the “Paris of the east” thanks to its Art Nouveau architecture and grand municipal buildings, often French-designed. This architecture is now mixed with utilitarian buildings left behind from decades of communist rule. 2019 marked 30 years since the Romanian Revolution in 1989, when Romanian leaders Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu were assassinated on Christmas Day. 

  

  I knew nothing about Romania before I arrived, and I left with more knowledge than I would have learned in any of my school classes. I’ll save the history lesson for the Google, and instead show you some of the highlights from the two walking tours. Our Air B & B was about a 30 minute walk from the city, and after asking a Romanian police woman where to go (she spoke no English, but was very kind) we found our way to the city.

  We passed by the Romanian Orthodox Church, which we later discovered is the bane of Bucharest’s existence. Bucharest has churches everywhere, and this project is costing the tax payers money they would rather be spending on hospitals, roads, schools, etc. Alas, the church continues to have construction costing more and more $$$.

  

  

  Our first walking tour covered the general history of Bucharest, but the majority of this tour took us to see some of the many churches throughout the city. During the communist times, churches were lifted by engineers and moved, often to places that were hidden. We saw one church that was squeezed between and slightly behind other buildings.

  

  How people can lift and move an entire building is beyond me, but they did this many times in Bucharest, specifically in order to make room for the Parliament building which is the second bane of Bucharest’s existence (and the second largest administrative building in the world.) The electricity cost to keep this building running, in rooms people don’t even use is astounding.

  Before his assassination, the Romanian leader wanted the Parliament building built to specific standards, which meant apartments and churches needed to be moved to make room. The apartments on the street leading up to the parliament were literally lifted and moved just slightly to make the path wider. Insert eye roll here, what a waste of funds.

  

  Parliament

  

  

  Of all the churches we saw, the most memorable was the Church of Saint Anthony. This church is the oldest in Bucharest, but what made this church so memorable was the story  behind what happens here on Tuesday’s. Saint Anthony is the finder of lost things, and the saint of small requests, so on Tuesday’s people line up outside of the building to ask Saint Anthony for lost items.

  On Tuesday EVENINGS, women line up to ask Saint Anthony for love. We happened to pass by on a Tuesday and were able to see the line out the door. I should have come back that evening to ask for an Irishman.

  

  After our first tour, we had a few hours to kill before our second tour. We headed towards Cărturești, aka one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world. Walking into this bookstore felt like walking into a fairytale. I’ve never seen anything like it.

  

  

  

  I could have spent hours in there with a good book and a hot cup of coffee.

  As we made our way towards tour number two, we ran into a small friend. If there is anywhere in the world I belong the most it would be in Romania, simply for the amount of stray animals. The number of cats we saw was unimaginable, and all of them friendly.

  

  I tried to feed her some of my salmon, but she wasn’t having it. 

  Tour two covered more of the communist history of the city, and our adorable tour guide named Serban was a plethora of knowledge. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about this subject. Serban took us through neighborhoods with bullet holes in the tops of buildings, past buildings that were used as old decoys without anyone actually living inside, and gave us a history lesson about King Carol I, Romania’s first king.

  King Carol I was German, and he was a was a babe.

  

  King Carol I and his successors in the three right circular photos.

  

  Source

  

  Modern building built out of the shell of an old building on right.

  We weaved in and out of alleyways, saw “hidden” apartment buildings, and talked about the three United Principalities of Romania before Romania became…Romania. These were Transylvania, Moldavia and Wallachia (which became the basis for the Kingdom of Romania.) We also walked underneath buildings that were literally crumbling due to the fact the Romanian government has left all these buildings as they are.

  These dangerous alleyways had a unique beauty…as long as we walked quickly. 

  

  

  My first impression of Bucharest was not favorable, but after this day of history and exploration I saw the charm. However, one day here was enough for me and I’m glad we spent more time in our other cities. Next up: two times the castles, two times the fun.

  Q: Have you been to a city where you prematurely judged the book by its cover?

  

  | 13 Comments Tagged Brittanys Life Abroad, Bucharest, Europe, Romania, Walking Tour

• Linderhof Palace

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on April 13, 2020

  I’ve found myself with (a lot of) extra free time lately, and while some days I don’t leave my room, other days I go on extensive (to me) bike rides around Bavaria. The weather lately has been exceptional, dare I say hot even, making the choice to get outside that much easier.

  I’ve ridden my bike many places around where I live, but now I’m starting to go further.

  

  I decided last week to ride my bike to Linderhof Palace, the lesser known stepsister to the popular Neuschwanstein Castle. King Ludwig II of Bavaria never finished building Neuschwanstein before he mysteriously died, however Linderhof was completed, and it was in this palace where he actually lived.

  

  Ludwig was an extreme introvert, to the point of having his meals delivered using a pulley system from floors below just so he didn’t have to see anyone. I think he would have thrived during this time of social isolation, however at the time his escape from reality lifestyle cost him his sanity, and ultimately his life.

  Despite his unique progression (or lack there of) into power, his fantasy world brought to life these two amazing palaces which were said to be funded by the tax paying community. I can understand the disdain towards him from the town folks, but today hundreds of thousands of visitors come to admire these architectural masterpieces.

  

  Due to the current lockdown in Bavaria (and in many places all over the world), Linderhof is not open to the public. However, Bavaria (and Germany as a whole) has contained the Corona virus appropriately enough to allow those of us who live here the freedom to go outdoors for sports activities.

  So long as we’re alone, or with those we live with. For me bike rides are almost always solo activities. 

  I am finding that my love of outdoor sports is fluid. It changes as I change, and that’s ok. I once loved running outdoors, which then changed to a love for hiking, and has changed once again to a love for biking. This doesn’t mean I don’t still enjoy the aforementioned activities (although running and I really struggle to get along these days), but I much prefer biking. Especially when it’s warm outside. 

  

  Fortunately for me, King Ludwig II loved the mountains, and loved to be tucked into his own pocket of the alps. Linderhof is surrounded by amazing views, and I can see why he chose this location to isolate himself. With the current isolation going on, I’d choose a place like this to spend my time too.

  Linderhof is not in prime shape during the winter months, and although it was technically spring when I stopped by, it was still looking pretty rough. The outside of the actual palace is gorgeous, and I can only imagine what the inside looks like, but the outer grounds (known for the flowers and the garden) was less than stellar. 

  

  Source

  Renovations are being done to the grounds, which are larger than I expected them to be. The palace itself is apart of a park area with walking paths, tree canopies, and fountains to unwind next to. I’ve been told middle to late spring is the best time to visit because the gardens are in full bloom, but photos of the palace in the fall intrigue me more.

  

  Source (spring)

  

  Source (fall)

  The above photos are what Linderhof looks like in her prime, alas when I visited it was a complete 180. I didn’t go expecting to see elaborate landscapes though, I went to see the palace itself, and to enjoy a long beautiful bike ride. I rode 34 miles this day, and it was a wonderful adventure through parts of Bavaria I hadn’t been.

  

  I have said it once, and I will say it again – the freedom that a bicycle provides is unlike anything else. Sure, driving is great, but there is a kind of exhilaration that accompanies being on two wheels in a new to me location, with the wind in my hair. My travels have all been well worth the money, but this bike was the best investment I made last year. Second to my IRA of course. 😉

  Q: What does social isolation look like where you live? Are you able to go outside in nature?

  

  | 23 Comments Tagged Bavaria, Biking, Brittanys Life Abroad, Europe, Linderhof Palace

• Colmar, France

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on April 8, 2020

  After a lovely day in Strasbourg, my pal and I had one more day in France for our weekend getaway, and we decided to drive the hour south to Colmar before heading back to Germany. Colmar is renowned for its superbly preserved old town, adorned with timber-framed wood houses that reflect an exceptional blend of Germanic and French architecture.

  Have I mentioned how much I love this style of housing?

  

  The weather on this day was a moody mix of wind and sprinkles, but neither of us were phased by this. When traveling, learning to roll with whatever is thrown your way makes things more enjoyable. Plus, most people aren’t traveling during the winter months so the trade off for poor weather is less humans.

  

  

  We had no plan for this afternoon of wandering, so we parked the car and set off for a few hours of exploration. Our first stop was to La Petite Venise, or Little Venice, to admire the houses on the canal. These houses sit on the Lauch river and are said to have been houses for fishermen and boaters once upon a time.

  Now, they are the perfect houses to add to a vision board. 

  

  

  A small walk along the pleasant Quai de la Poissonnerie leads to St Peter’s bridge where we had a beautiful view over “Little Venice.” From the bridge heading back down the cobblestone streets of Quai de la Poissonnerie we found a large brass colored building dating back to 1865. This building used to be a shopping hall, and is now a covered market known as Marché couvert.

  

  Path towards market.

  

  Market on the right.

  I wasn’t aware of this market until we passed by and I glanced inside the window. This indoor market (completely renovated in 2010), is home to many stalls selling local products, fruit and vegetables, and a bar with an amazing terrace (which seems to float on the Lauch River.) You can see the terrace surrounded by a red wall in the above photo.

  I can only imagine how popular the terrace is in the warmer months. 

  We hadn’t had breakfast yet, and this covered market was the perfect place to stop for a bite. Inside, the people were just waking up and it was apparent everyone wandering the stalls were locals and not tourists. Everyone knew what they wanted, and were having friendly chats with the stall owners. We made a full lap before finding the stalls we wanted to stop at.

  Breakfast goals were simple: bread, butter, jam, coffee.

  

  The stall owners spoke very little English, but they were all very kind. We sat at the stall where we ordered coffee and each ate our entire baguette (and more than half this circle of local butter!) Bread makes me very brain foggy, but when in France it’s worth it.

  I remember the exact feeling of calm I had sitting inside this market focusing on nothing more than my baguette and americano.

  After breakfast we wandered around the streets and shops for a couple more hours before starting the drive back to Germany. We spent just the first half of our day in Colmar, which was enough time for us. One day is enough for this town, and perhaps I will return someday in the nicer weather to enjoy a cup of coffee on the covered market terrace.

  

  When driving home, our GPS ended up taking us into Switzerland (I didn’t adjust the route option) which added an extra hour onto our drive back (whoops.) We had a good laugh about this detour, and thankfully the weather held up for the entirety of the drive.

  Strasbourg was enjoyable for its size and walkability, and Colmar was enjoyable for the same reasons, but in a different way. Comar is smaller, but far less touristy (even in the off season.) Both towns are beautiful, and have awe worthy architecture.

  

  France continues to surprise me. Aside from a designated trip to Paris and Normandy in January, my other visits have been sporadic one or two day pop ins. In the future I would love to dedicate a week or more to exploring more of the country. Until then, I will daydream of fresh baguettes and locally churned butter. Ohh to be French.

  Q: Baguettes with butter and jam, or croissants? 

  

  | 23 Comments Tagged Baguettes, Brittanys Life Abroad, Coffee, Colmar, Europe, France

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• Contact: blissfulbritt@yahoo.com

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