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  • Tag: Cathedral

    • Metz, France

      Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on May 15, 2019

      In continuation of my last post, I briefly mentioned that in the middle of a somewhat random trip to Luxembourg I also took a slight detour into France for a day and a half. Knowing that Luxembourg was pretty small, but having four days to travel, my friend and I decided to split the time between two locations. We chose Metz France as our second destination because it was a short 50 minute train ride from Luxembourg.

      Just like when I arrived in Luxembourg my first thought of Metz was: “it’s so green here TOO!”

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      I was obsessed with this building.

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      We arrived around 11 am, and after dropping our bags off at our hotel (that’s right, we lived large in France and slept in a hotel instead of a hostel for the same price as our hostel in Luxembourg) we set out to explore the city. It was a bit rainy the day we arrived, so I spent 15 euro to buy an umbrella big enough to fly both Mary Poppins and the children to keep myself dry.

      I sold the umbrella when I returned to Germany because it was too big.

      We wandered for a while before deciding to stop into a French restaurant for a fancy lunch. I had every intention of eating the rotisserie chicken I bought, but once I saw the salad and fresh French baguettes it was game over. Naturally I had to get a French espresso to compare to Italy. It was delicious. Or it could have been the apple dessert I had with homemade ice cream.

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      Terrible photo, but that cinnamon ice cream was life changing. 

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      After lunch the sun came out, and I credit this to the rain dance I did in the bathroom trying to get my pants back on. I blame the dessert and baguettes for the struggle with my pants. This was perfect because we were right around the corner from the Metz Cathedral, which has the largest expanse of stained glass in the world. The light shining through the windows was gorgeous.

      We also came back to the cathedral the following morning for Sunday mass (in French) which was so cool. 

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      The sun stayed out for the remainder of the day, and we wandered a few more hours walking through the Covered Market (indoor farmers market similar to Pike Place in Seattle) before stumbling across Le Temple Neuf protestant church. No matter which angle you look at this building from it’s just as beautiful as the one before it.

      The Metz Cathedral is mesmerizing, but this church was likely my favorite building.

      Covered Market

      Covered Market – meat, fish, cheese, produce, pizza, you name it.

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      Le Temple Neuf

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      We then came across an old church that was turned into an art gallery, displaying odd graphic photos depicting some kind of historical stories. They were quite bizarre, and I don’t read French, but I assume there was some kind of meaning behind the exhibit.

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      Our last stop on day one was at the Centre-Pompidou, which I would have skipped had I been alone. I’m not a big museum person, and I’m also not a big modern art person, and this was a modern art museum. It was the most bizarre presentation of art I’ve ever seen. Rooms with large boulders, with comments to stare at the rock because normally we don’t, rooms with walls painted different colors, rooms with cotton, it was just bizarre and not my cup of tea.

      After the odd art we made our way back to our hotel (behind the train station, which holds the title as most beautiful exterior train station I’ve seen in Europe) and called it an early night. I slept great and woke up the next morning ready for day two. We started our morning at a local cafe, which was hands down the best European cafe I have been to yet. It’s called Fox Coffee, an independent coffee shop run by extremely friendly French folk.

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      My inner crunchy granola wannabe vegan was dying at the vegan and gluten free treats, as well as the adorable interior. I would go back to Metz JUST to go to this cafe. We got a breakfast platter that came with fresh bread, homemade Nutella/peanut butter/jam/local honey, and an egg soufflé. I could have sat in this shop all day.

      After successfully stuffing myself with food my body hates, we were off to explore more of the city. We found a park that was hosting a 5K and my inner runner was dying at this atmosphere too. Most days I have come to terms with my “I don’t run or eat vegan anymore because my body doesn’t like it” lifestyle, but some days I really miss it. I made my friend stand with me while I watched the runners.

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      Archway leading towards the park.

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      Park graffiti.

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      There were only a few more places we wanted to see before catching our train back to Luxembourg at 1600, the most important being the Porte des Allemands which is a fortified city gate that serves as a bridge over the river. Its placement seems somewhat odd as it sits in the center of a city, but it was beautiful nonetheless. Granted, this was built long before the city.

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      Metz was another hidden gem of a city, a place I’d have never seen had it not been for the Lufthansa Surprise (as mentioned in my last post.) Both Luxembourg and Metz France were small and are not tourist destinations which was a nice change of pace. The people were friendly, the food was good, and the architecture was beautiful.

      Another two countries in the books, and I’m now into double digit countries visited. This was my sixth country visited since moving to Germany, what a wild ride.

      Q: Would you attend a mass in a different language? I’m not catholic, but this was a really cool experience. 

      brittany

      | 18 Comments Tagged Brittanys Life Abroad, Cafe, Cathedral, France, Travel Abroad
    • Munich, Germany

      Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on February 11, 2019

      Last week I took a day trip into the city of Munich, which is just over an hour long bus ride from where I am living. I had originally planned to visit the city alone, but when I discovered two of the girls I went to Innsbruck with were also going, I changed plans to go with them. The weather was perfect the entire day – it was cold, but the sky was cloudless and sunny.

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      Before arriving, I searched the Google for a few places that were on the “must see” list, and planned to spend the rest of the time wandering the streets. I like to have a balance of knowledge and spontaneity when traveling to new places. This ensures I see a few top spots, but also opens the door for places I’d not have stumbled upon otherwise.

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      Munich is a high end city and a lot of people visit to shop, but I came for the sights. I came for the architecture, for the cathedrals, for the parks, and for the food. The Marienplatz (city center) area is home to Neues Rathaus (Munich’s New Town Hall) which was at the top of my list of must see’s. The gothic style building dates back to 1867 and the inside was like a labyrinth. This was the first stop of the day, and we happened to arrive just in time to see the Glockenspiel perform, which only happens a couple times a day.

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      Neues Rathaus on the left, Frauenkirche (Church of our Lady) domes in the middle, Mariensäule (St. Mary’s column) on the left.

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      There is something magical about seeing a building in real life after seeing a photo, like meeting Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. Walking around the corner to see Neues Rathaus was one of those magical moments. As touristy as it may be, the building is a must see when visiting Munich. When walking around inside the building there were children everywhere, one of them was flaunting his money at me and I wasn’t sure if he thought I was a prostitute or just trying to brag.

      Based on my thick puffy jacket and long pants I’ll go with the latter. 

      After wandering around the Marienplatz area for a bit, we headed off to find some cathedrals. I absolutely love the strong faith in Europe, and although I don’t identify with Catholicism (despite being raised catholic) the beauty of these old churches is awe inspiring.  Our first stop was Frauenkirche (Church of our Lady.) The cathedrals iconic domes can be seen in one of the above photos.

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      This was a good start to the cathedral crawl, and I felt that each cathedral after was better than the one before it. My only complaint was that my group didn’t want to spend more time inside each place we stopped (perks of traveling solo.) We also visited St. Peter’s Church and Holy Ghost Church, but my all time favorite of the day AND of all time thus far in my life was Asam Church. Usually when I think of a cathedral, I think of bright lights and stained glass windows. I think of white walls and a victorian themed decor.

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      Holy Ghost Church

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      However, upon walking into Asam Church all my stigmas surrounding cathedrals were shattered by the dark gothic vibe. The walls were dark, the decor was dark, and the ambiance was dark. It was the most beautifully dark cathedral I have ever seen, and I will return to Munich just to sit inside of it for longer than 5 minutes. The inside is much smaller than the other cathedrals we visited, and I can only imagine what the hymns sound like inside those walls.

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      Such beauty. 

      A trip to the city isn’t complete without sustenance, and although the Hofbräuhaus is very touristy, it’s a traditional beer hall that dates back to the 16th century. Inside we were lucky to get a table, because if you don’t sit you don’t eat. People are known to scoot into a booth with strangers because it gets so busy at times. I’m not a beer drinker, but I did partake in a bowl of potato soup and a “side” of sauerkraut which was enough for three people.

      I ate it all.

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      The inside was beautiful and we listened to traditional live music.

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      I look forward to going back to the beer hall during Oktoberfest. 

      After our feast, we were off to the Englischer Garden, a public park created in 1789. Even the parks in Europe have deep history, it’s amazing. There is currently a lot of snow in Germany, which made the park look like a true winter wunderland. I can’t wait to return and see this park in the summer months. I envision myself sitting on the grass, having a picnic, eating bon bons and wading in the river.

      For those who like to partake in the hops, there is also a biergarten nearby.

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      After making a pit stop into Starbucks for my compadres (the sign was in German, it was fun) we made our way to the last must see spot on my list. The Siegestor Arch was originally dedicated to the glory of the Bavarian army, and underwent serious damage after WWII. The arch was almost demolished in 1945, but was partially restored and now promotes peace. The total distance covered in Munich was 12 miles on foot, and I’d say we covered some solid ground.

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      Munich is a city for everyone. If you like to buy expensive unnecessary items, go to Munich. If you like to learn about history and visit museums (I need to go back to see some museums), go to Munich. If you like to explore old architechture and historical buildings, go to Munich. Just outside of Munich are two other must visit places: (I haven’t been to either yet, but they’re on my list ASAP) Dachau Concentration Camp, and Neuschwanstein Castle.

      That wraps up my second trip outside of my “home” town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen.  I’ve officially been living in Germany for three weeks (today) and I still feel like I’m on an extended vacation despite the fact that I’m working. Life is wild, and I’m happy to be along for the ride.

      Q: When visiting a big city would you rather: shop, visit museums, or visit landmarks?

      brittany

      | 18 Comments Tagged Cathedral, Germany, History, Living Abroad, Munich
    • 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.
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