Hello sunshine!

We woke up in the middle of the night to trade the dreary cold weather for the warm summer sun. I’m lying on a hammock in Kissamos on the island of Crete soaking in the Mediterranean sun at our AirBnb.

Munich was nice, however, being pushed off a plank into the midst of winter was not. Despite taking a little longer to get started every day, we made the most of our time in Munich.

We caught the end of the Oktoberfest parade on Sunday, after opening day. Participants greeted the crowd on foot, horseback or in carriages decorated with beautifully arranged fresh flowers and ribbons. One marching band passed by after another. No ads, no plastic, no large hot air balloons. It was unlike any parade I’ve seen before. Afterwards, we walked around Marienplatz and toured the frequently visited sites with other friends in town. We wrapped up after realizing the Glockenspiel wasn’t going off and made our way to Stefan’s house for a much needed lazy Sunday afternoon. We sat around his kitchen table, sipped on Italian wine and played with his dogs in the warmth of his home.

The following day, we stayed in bed watching Queen Elizabeth’s funeral. The Queen’s funeral was fascinating to watch and one for the history books. I find funerary traditions so interesting, it is something so unique to the human experience.

We turned off the TV after her coffin moved to the royal hearst and headed out to the English Gardens. The park was beautiful and made me envious that we don’t have something similar in San Jose. After a few hours of meandering about, we meet up with Nils, my colleague, for dinner. Over traditional Bavarian food, Nils dropped some quirky tidbits about the city we simply could not miss including a Michael Jackson Memorial and river surfing. We had a lot of fun catching up with Nils!

On our last day in Munich, I had to go back to the

Munich Soup Kitchen, a soup stall, in Victuals Market for another bowl of hearty vegetable soup. Of all the things I’ve tried, the soups have been my absolute favorite most likely due to the cold weather. We also stopped by Cafe Frischhut for some deep fried goodness before making our way out to the airport for our early flight.

Aside from the frigid cold and wet weather, I enjoyed my time in Munich. I appreciate the city’s diversity, its inclusion of vegetarian cuisine (also required by law I’m told), and the city’s rich history. While in Munich, I spent a lot of time reflecting on the importance of tradition and its role in bringing people together. Oktoberfest was a time of celebration, while the Queen’s funeral was a time of mourning. These events brought families together (Prince of Wales and Duke of Sussex), locals together and even people from all over the world. It makes me hopeful that things will be okay. The weirdness we’re experiencing at home will too pass.