Tag: Bike

• Ettal Abbey

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on November 29, 2019

  One of my recent and likely one of my last longer bike rides (until warmer weather) took me to a town about an hour (bike ride) north of me called Ettal. I had driven through Ettal a handful of times, but I had never stopped to appreciate the beauty of the Abbey in the middle of this tiny town. The onion dome of the Abbey can be seen from the road, but the grandeur entirety of this building can only be appreciated up close.

  

  I knew in the back of my mind that the road getting to Ettal was a steep, windy, mountain road, but I had forgotten this tiny detail when I decided to bike in this direction. I looked for a bike path to avoid biking on the road, but I think next time I will choose the road. I found a bike/hiking trail that was so steep I had to get off my bike and push it up the hill.

  I ended up gaining 1300 ft of elevation over maybe half a mile. It was intense! 

  

  The Abbey is an active Benedictine monastery from the 1300’s. It’s open to the public everyday, and within the grounds of this Abbey is a brewery/distillery. This area is used to make beer and liquor by the active monks. The alcohol is sold and the money contributes to the upkeep of the Abbey. I don’t drink, but if a monk offered me a shot of gin I wouldn’t say no!

  

  

  The basilica has a beautifully elaborate interior, as do all European churches. I’m not catholic, but I like to light a candle sometimes when I visit Catholic Churches. Sometimes I say a prayer for myself, and sometimes I say a prayer for my mom (she is catholic.)

  

  

  

  I spent about an hour here before I continued on to Oberammergau, about 20 minutes from Ettal. Oberammergau is home to the Passion Play, a once every ten year play depicting the Passion of Jesus Christ: his trial, suffering and death. 2020 is when the next play will be, and this play is from May through October.

  The entire town is jam packed that entire time, with people arriving from all over the world just for the play. 

  I biked around the town just to see it, stopping by the Passion Play theatre before heading back to Garmisch. As I passed back through Ettal on my way home the sun came out, providing a different contrast to the Ettal Abbey. The hotel I work for has weekly tours to this Abbey, paired with a cheese tasting at a nearby cheese factory, but I’m glad I rode my bike here to have free rein while exploring.

  

  When I left.

  

  When I arrived.

  The bike ride back was much quicker, as always when going DOWN hill. I took the road so that I could ride my bike instead of walking it down the steep hill I climbed. I flew like a bat out of hell on that road, despite holding my breaks like a wuss. I hate going down hill too fast, I’m a big wimp! I’ve been living in Garmisch for nearly a year, and I continue to discover new adventures close to “home.”

  Life here is never dull unless you do nothing with your free time.

  

  Q: Would you have guessed monks brew beer and liquor?! I also saw a monk smoking a cigarette while taking out the trash, and for some reason I felt surprised. As if the monks were immortal beings that don’t do daily tasks. 

  

  | 9 Comments Tagged Bavaria, Bike, Bike Ride, Brittanys Life Abroad, Ettal, Garmisch, Germany

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on August 26, 2019

  1. Wow. It’s been a hot minute since I’ve done one of these confession posts. I was looking through old blogs I’d written, and reminded myself how much I enjoy these. I also reminded myself of a lot of things, like how I used to live my life without restrictions. Change is hardest when you don’t have a choice.

  2. My favorite thing about Bavaria in the summer is all the cows on the trails. I want one.

  

  

  

  

  3. I enjoy riding my bike, but sometimes I honestly wish I had my car. After a long day and a long week at work, the last thing I want to do is bike to get groceries. It’s exhausting.

  4. I’ve found myself in a funk the last couple weeks. Could have been the revisiting of old blogs, or the physical exhaustion, I’ve just been admittedly down about my food restrictions. I know acceptance is the key to happiness, but some days I’m just O-V-E-R it.

  

  

  Didn’t eat any of this, but how beautiful is this German charcuterie board?

  

  5. I love living in Germany, but I’m burned out with my job.

  6. I bought a dirndl and wore it out in public, but I was extremely uncomfortable in it for the first hour. I typically hide my body in loose clothing, so this was hard for me.

  

  

  My amazing roommates and I.

  

  

  

  7. I got my haircut by a woman that didn’t speak english, but we made it work. I then botched it by cutting more myself. I will never learn.

  8. A little while back I went for an after work hike on a mountain called the Eckbauer. The weather was perfect when we started, but by the time we hit the summit the thunder and lightening hit and my anxiety reared up like a horse that saw a snake.

  I don’t like being in situations where I have no control (who does) and this made me nervous. Be that as it may, I still had a great time with the two girls I was with, and the mountains were gorgeously moody.

  

  

  

  9. I don’t know if it’s a good or bad thing that the highlight of my week was officially becoming a regular at the German shop I buy roasted chicken from.

  10. When my dad and step mom visited from the States last month, we spent their last day in Munich. We took a five hour bike tour which was fantastic, and I had a small crush on our tour guide. He wasn’t overly attractive, but he was from Ireland and all he had to do was speak. It was game over after his first word.

  I love the Irish accent so much, I still found him attractive after I saw him smoke. Who am I…

  

  Q: What’s your confession?

  

  | 22 Comments Tagged Bike, Brittanys Life Abroad, Early Morning Confessions, Germany, Hiking

• Biking in Bavaria

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on May 28, 2019

  There are few places I find more beautiful than the Pacific Northwest, but Bavaria has quickly topped the list of most beautiful places I’ve lived. I love having a European launch pad for traveling, but I’m trying not to neglect the adventure and exploration within my “home” country of Germany. I took the plunge and bought myself a bike three weeks ago, and life hasn’t been the same since.

  The freedom that a bike provides is nothing short of magical.

  

  The bike paths here are amazing and endless. The paths connect between multiple surrounding towns and are at the base of the alps. I often have to remind myself this is indeed real life. I have ridden my bike nearly everyday since I bought it, and have quickly forgotten about my bike back home.

  

  

  

  I bought a mountain bike so that I could ride anywhere. Some of the trails I hope to ride on will be a bit rugged, and a mountain bike will allow me more opportunities than a road bike would. One of my go to spots for a quick adventure is Farchant, a town about five miles from where I live. It doesn’t take long, and there are lots of hiking trails around.

  It’s just enough to feel like I’m getting away from Garmisch for a bit.

  

  

  I went on a post work bike ride a bit ago while heading towards Farchant, and stumbled upon something I had wanted to see for a while. There are some old castle ruins nearby, but still far enough away that it would be a commitment to walk to. I didn’t plan to find the ruins on that post work bike ride, but I did! It was such a fun discovery, and this is exactly why I enjoy going for bike rides without a specific destination.

  I went back again a week later with my roommate to enjoy the view. 

  

  

  

  Another bike adventure I went on led me back to the Partnachklamm in Partenkirchen, where last time I visited I had to take a bus. I parked my bike at the entrance, walked through the gorge, and wandered past the gorge on one of the trails that leads to Kaiserschmarrn-Alm, another awesome mountain hütte. The hütte gets its name from a Bavarian dessert called Kaiserschmarrn which is a shredded fluffy pancake with powdered sugar and is accompanied by things like apples or cherries. 

  One of these days I will eat some, until then I’ll enjoy the view.

  

  

  

  The final town I will share in this post is in the opposite direction, called Grainau. The bike path leading to Grainau is beautiful, and the town is adorable. Grainau is a bit smaller than Garmisch, but the church and cemetery in Grainau has a better backdrop. Grainau is home to a beautiful lake called Eibsee, which I will have a separate post about soon!

  

  

  Church backdrop.

  

  Life in Bavaria is lovely, but it’s been even better with a bike. If I have a hard day, or I’m just feeling anxious or emotional I hop on my bike and ride. I used to be able to use running as my outlet, but that’s no longer an option for me so biking is a less stressful option for my body with similar mental relief results. It helps living in such a picturesque location.

  

  Having an outlet is so essential for stress relief, or even just to distract my mind from itself. I am thankful for the opportunity I have living in Germany, but I still have days where I struggle. Life happens no matter where you are, and eventually the honeymoon phase of a new place wears off and life just becomes life again.

  It’s important to continue to do self improvement no matter where you are in the world.

  I’m excited to explore more of Bavaria as the summer months approach, and to continue to grow as I explore.

  Q: Do you enjoy biking in new places? 

  

  | 24 Comments Tagged Bavaria, Bike, Biking, Brittanys Life Abroad, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

• Salzburg, Austria – Pt.2

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on April 23, 2019

  Before I went to Salzburg, I knew that the city was famous for some of the Sound of Music filming locations. I did some Google searching to find out my options to visit these locations, and settled on a three hour bike tour. I’m not normally one to take a formal tour, but when there are bikes included I can be convinced. The tour turned out to be one of the best decisions I had made all month. 

  

  

  Most people take a bus tour, but I knew I wanted to ride a bike around Salzburg so this was the perfect activity for me. My group had eleven people consisting of mostly other Americans, some British folks, and a cute Australian guy. The tour took us to multiple filming locations, and through some of the outskirts of Salzburg. Getting out of the city center was so much fun, and the weather was absolute perfection.

  

  Maria’s Abbey

  

  The lake terrace scenes at the von Trapp’s family home were all shot at the baroque Leopoldskron Palace dating back to 1736.

  

  The actual “16 going on 17” gazebo.

  

  View of Untersberg Mountain – referenced in movie.

  While riding through the outskirts of the city, we had a stereo playing songs from the movie. The wind was slightly blowing, the sun was out, and I couldn’t slap the smile off my face if I’d tried. 

  One of my favorite filming locations, which I visited multiple times while in Salzburg, was the Mirabell Palace and Gardens. The gardens at the palace are said to be among some of the most beautiful gardens in the world. I visited the gardens the previous day, as well as later that evening for a concert.

  

  

  

  

  

  My only regret of this tour, was not being able to visit Werfen, aka the picnic meadow where they sang “Do Re Mi.“ This town is about a 40 minute train ride outside of Salzburg, so I plan to return to walk the “Sound of Music Trail” INTO the Austrian alps. Overall this was such a fun way to see the city and to see some of the filming locations. I wish I had watched the movie the night before (my hostel shows the film every night at 8p) but I’m an old lady and need my sleep.

  After the bike tour I lost my morals and grabbed a Salzburg Pretzel, which was basically a pastry in the shape of a pretzel covered in chocolate. The pretzel was the size of my face…twice. It was intense. I chomped on my sins as I walked towards Mozarts Geburtshaus, aka Mozarts birthplace. It only made sense to stand in the room where Mozart was born, before listening to his music at a concert in Mirabell Palace later that evening.

  As regular readers know, I’ve made it a priority to see a classical concert in each new country I visit while living in Europe, and Salzburg was no exception.

   

  

  

  “In this room Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27, 1756.”

  

  I stood in the birth room for a full five minutes soaking in the music playing through the speakers. It was a surreal moment to stand in this room. Regardless of whether you’re a fan of his music or not, Mozart was a huge influence on classical music. His talents will live on forever. Sorry, I think the sugar rush from the pretzel was seeping through my fingers as I typed that.

  After I visited Mozarts birthplace, I made sure to walk past the house the Mozart family moved to next. I didn’t feel the need to go inside, and I started to feel the effects of the pretzel and the Mozartkugel I had eaten and needed a small break from wandering. I headed back to my hostel for a bit to shower and change, and then it was time to visit the Mirabell Palace and Gardens again, but this time to go inside. I had booked a ticket for a Mozart concert and I got a front row seat.

  

  The palace was built in 1606, and is used today for concerts and weddings. The room where the concert was held is full of gold and marble, I can see why people want to get married there. The palace staircase felt like a scene from Titanic, and every detail was immaculate. The musicians were amazing, and they all looked so young.

  I’m constantly in awe of those who can play a musical instrument. I played the clarinet for a few years when I was in school, but couldn’t play a song if my life depended on it today (except for hot cross buns, forever for the HCB.) I’d always wanted to learn piano, but never made the time for it. I’m a sucker for piano, and my future husband will not only be able to build me a house in a flannel with a beard, he will also play the piano.

  

  I left the next morning around 10am. I would have stayed a bit longer, but the weather turned crummy and I felt I’d seen all I needed for this trip. Plus the longer I stay places the longer I’m off track with my eating and start to feel like I’ve been hit by a train. I had a great last minute trip to Salzburg, and am happy I live so close to such amazing cities full of history.

  Q: Are you a Sound of Music fan?

  

  | 28 Comments Tagged Austria, Bike, Brittanys Life Abroad, Mozart, Salzburg, Sound of Music, Travel, Travel Abroad

• Trusting the Process

  Posted at 9:05 AM by Brittany, on February 26, 2016

  I find myself bouncing back and forth between blog posts that have some sort of underlying message about life, to blog posts that have no outline or purpose other than to put mind thoughts to paper – or internet pages. This post falls into the latter category.

  

  I turned 27 last week, which is an odd feeling because when I hear 27 all I think about is, “three years from 30” which is terrifying. Not to say there is anything wrong with being 30, in fact I somewhat look forward to turning 30 because I hope by then my life will be together. What’s terrifying is that I feel nothing like an adult, and my lifestyle is still somewhat juvenile.

  

  I wear a Buzz Lightyear bag when I ride my bike.

  I’m thankful that I’ve finally, and I repeat FINALLY buckled down to finish my college degree after eight years of back and forth nonsense. From psychology, to dental hygiene, to dental assisting, to nutrition, to where I am now with ASU. I swore I’d have some kind of medical degree like my dad, but alas I’m better with words.

  Let me be a prime example that it’s never too late to finish something you’ve started.

  Never. 

  

  BS in Human Communications here I come

  The last few years have been spent soul searching. I’ve discovered a sense of who I am, which is a crucial puzzle piece of life when you’re in your 20’s. I know I’m not done yet and lately I’ve started to feel the sense that something is missing, but I’m not quite sure what. I tend to get stuck in my comfort zone which is where I am once again.

  This happens to me when I run, I get comfortable staying between 3-6 miles and my fitness eventually plateaus. This is when I get impulsive and sign up for another half marathon, like I did last month. I sometimes need a push to step outside my mandala of butterflies and rainbows.

  

  Half marathon training is on par, 5 miles is my comfortable spot and now we start getting closer to double digits.

  I am thankful for everything that I have right now – a loving family that supports me in every way, a house over my head, a small but solid friendship circle, and a stable job that allows me to finish school, go on adventures, pick my schedule, and coworkers that love me regardless of my wind blown hair after biking to work.

  

  Despite my blessings, I now need more. These feelings creep up whenever I notice myself getting complacent with my comfort zone. I have all the means to take a giant leap in life, but I find myself needing the push. I’m trusting the process and putting the vibes into the world that I’m ready. For what I don’t know, but I’m ready.

  I don’t often look at the bigger picture because I truly believe life is meant to be enjoyed right now, and too many of us get so stuck on what we want later in life that we miss the beauty that’s right in front of us. Disclaimer: I don’t mean throwing everything into the gutter just to have fun, I mean building a life of balance right NOW instead of later when you have X,Y, and Z accomplished. 

  With that said, I’m heeding my dads advice of “look at what you want later, and do what you have to now to make that happen.”

  

  I want energy, so my weekends are spent at the theater so I can be in bed by 10.

  I want independence (in other ways that I have now), I want stability (not related to money), I want a place of my own (specifically something tiny and on wheels), I want world exposure (without the fear of getting lost), but mostly I want balance.

  I can feel my inner world slightly off-kilter, and despite being semi locked into life right now (to finish school I must stay with Starbucks for at least another 1.5 yrs because they are footing the bill, yeehaw) I’m looking towards the future for once instead of living in the moment. I must trust my current process to propel me somewhere amazing later in life.

  Perhaps that in and of itself is a slight sense of balance.

  

  When all else fails, I can always lean on trees for stability.

  After all that, it turns out this post actually had more purpose that I expected. 🙂 Things are changing in my world, and I’m honoring the flow of life by conforming to the changes.

  Q: Who can relate?

  

  | 90 Comments Tagged Bike, Half Marathon, Life, Running

• I Want to Ride My Bicycle

  Posted at 7:20 AM by Brittany, on October 27, 2015

  I highly recommend listening to this song as you read this post, which has become my theme song for life. At least for the moment.

  Last week I took myself on a date to Seattle with one goal in mind: buy a bike.

  

  As you can see from the above photo I was successful in this endeavor, but before I get to that I want to relive my Seattle adventure.

  

  

  Despite my many trips to the city, I can never take just one photo upon arrival.

  

  I may be bias, or just sheltered, but this is one of the most beautiful cities I’ve seen. If anyone wants to take me to Europe and change my perspective that’d be great.

  I had the entire day to myself so I wandered, wandered, and wandered some more.

  

  

  My first stop in Seattle is almost always the same, a trip to Pike Place Market for good coffee, fruit, treats, and entertainment.

  

  

  

  After I got my caffeine and sugar fix I headed to REI. On my way there I saw many signs I was doing the right thing. Not that I needed any convincing.

  

  

  I’m not an impulsive person, and most of the time I miss out on things because I am too afraid of making the “wrong choice” or because I don’t know enough about things.

  I’ve been planning to buy bike for years now, but wanted to do some research first. After no effort on my part to do so, I decided to buy a bike based on feel.

  Complete and utter impulsiveness. I regret nothing.

  

  A 15 minute test ride, 30 minutes of paperwork, and nearly 2 paychecks later I rode away on my brand new bike. The color was not at all what I planned on, but I love it.

  I made this purchase based on the feel of the bike, and partly on the brand name. Cannondale makes great bikes, this much I knew.

  My ride back to the ferry was a bit scary as it was getting dark and I didn’t feel comfortable riding in the road like all the other bikers. Total newbie over here trying to maneuver around walkers on the sidewalk.

  

  I had to ride my bike onto the ferry (back to my car) among a sea of commuters. I pretended I knew what I was doing, but really I didn’t.

  At least I wasn’t the only one wearing sandals.

  

  The cool kids.

  A successful trip to the city, and I now have a new mode of transportation. 
  

  

  

  Now all I need to do is get my butt used to the seat, and figure out a better way to pack this into my car. For now, I’m content riding around my area.

  I also need a bike lock, a basket for my cat groceries, and strobe lights.

  

  Post purchase selfie after stuffing the bike into my car.

  Q: Do you have a bike?

  

  | 76 Comments Tagged Bike, Cannondale, Explore, REI, Seattle

• 

• 

• Search for:
• BRITTANY- Self proclaimed minimalistic nomad striving to maintain a balanced, healthy life with good food, long bike rides, deep connections, exploration, and lots of cucumbers.

• If this blog does not meet your standards, please lower your standards.

• Contact: blissfulbritt@yahoo.com

• ¿Quieres Más?

  Like my witty attitude and delightful charm? Enter your
  e-mail below for the party to come straight to your inbox!

  Email Address:

  Chyea DO it!

  Join 4,445 other subscribers
• 
• 

•