Kiwi See the World through my eyes - Bavaria

Travel continues to take us to amazing places and we have met the most wonderful people. Including Thomas Koy and his family who invited us to his home in Bavaria. Thomas had enjoyed a three month  trip around New Zealand and had loved our country and culture . On meeting us in Italy, had decided that they would like to give us the same sort of welcome that they had receive in New Zealand.  Kai Pai kiwi's 😍 They most certainly did! Our stay becoming one of the most memorable of our travels so far. 

Our 9 hour train journey from Venice into Munich however was an adventure in itself . Coinciding with a national rail strike in Austria, left us stranded for two hours in Brenner on the Austrian Italian border with a back drop of the Alps , amazing views but meant us missing all our connections for the rest of the day. The Bavarian beer welcome was much appreciated once we finally arrived, exhausted 13 hours later. Zwiesel is an undiscovered gem deep in the heart of the Bavarian National forest, 1.5 hrs from the well worn tourist destination of Munich , offering spectacular views and walks of the national park , ski fields and we were immersed in the culture of this small Bavarian town of only 10,000 people, where everyone knows everyone and we were made to feel like VIPs.

With two breweries , beer is considered food here and mandatory to partake in at any time of day. After a year of travelling our tolerance was low but we certainly gave it a good go. For breakfast , while enjoying our first experience of Weißwurst , for lunch we sampled an array of local speciality beers and again more beer for dinner along side a typical dish of knuckle of Pork and sauerkraut  in the local Brewery. We enjoyed amazing Continental spreads for breakfast and introduced Jason to a Rumtopf, literally a rum pot with preserved fruits, delicious over a dessert containing 80 percent alcohol as well !!

A highlight of our visit was to the  Weißwurst Equator Monument in Zwiesel, a . A staggering 18,145kms from Tauranga , we now hold the record for the visitors from the furthest destination in the world ! I would challenge you to try to beat the record. It's so worth the trip. The monument represents  the divide of over 300kms separating the German sausages of the northern Bratwurst and the southern White sausage, Weißwurst of Bavaria. We were hosted to a traditional brunch of Weißwurst, pretzels, wheat beer and royal sausage mustard , where undertook training to remove the skin like a pro before being presented with a "Royal Weisswurst Diploma" for attendance. Wheat beer Incidentally is also a fantastic cure for the hangover, which is expected after a warm Bavarian welcome. Not only is beer food but also considered medicine!!

The Bavarian  Weißwurst ambassador Albert (Bertl) Fritz was a wonderful host and even wore his traditional Lederhosen to mark the auspicious occasion despite the freezing temperatures adding to the ambiance of the whole experience. 

An unexpected destination to find yet another pyramid . This time made of glass. In fact 93,665 glasses stacked on top of one another . An impressive monument to the thriving glass manufacturer Kristallglaser also situated in Zwiesel.

Next stop was a trip to the Czech-German border where we were able to pose with one leg in Germany and one leg in Czech on a  unique Railway Station which actually cross two countries. While great for photos it was a poignant reminder of the last time I was in Germany when this was not possible . The border separating these two countries was a physical barrier, manned by armed soldiers and impenetrable to cross.

Michael so enjoyed our stay here. He reverted to an excited child and laughed so much it brought tears to my eyes. Soaked he tumbled and played in the fresh snow giggling , throwing snowballs and made his first snow angel . At one point coming in for a cuddle and exclaiming ' Mum I love it here' ! I know exactly how he feels x

Our host Thomas and Katrin own a specialised wood packaging company and knowing Jason's love of wood, proudly took us for a tour of the factory where both Jas and Michael we're keen to get on the machines and have a go. Michael learnt to drive a tractor and has been offered the opportunity to do a school exchange in a few years where he can come back to work in the factory. Amazingly the idea totally appeals to him, who now has a goal to learn German.

We were sad to depart from Zwiesel after having such a magical few days. We have developed a genuine affection for this special community as well as a lifelong friendship with our hosts, who opened  their  hearts as well as their home to make us so welcome. Thank you xxx

Next stop was Munich , already feeling full of Christmas spirit , Munich greeted us glittering in Christmas decorations. Beautiful wooden stalls adorned in crafts, gifts, Lebkuchenherzen (Gingerbread hearts) and candy. Set under the shadow of Munich Cathedral with a huge Christmas tree to set the scene. We ate our way around the markets trying all the local fare including Stollen, Bratwurst, Currywurst and copious mugs of hot Gluhwein to keep warm . It truly is a magical place to see at Christmas. 

I was glad we had been able to experience the real Bavarian culture before seeing Munich which now is a major city, a melting pot of cultures and ethnicity's from all around the world and totally geared towards tourists all flocking to experience the traditional Christmas markets. That said,  now used to experiencing Christmas on the beach with a BBQ, there was something quite magical  about a winter Christmas especially in the snow .

We are all starting to feel tired and a little over our backpacks now so we made the call to use our last train ticket into Genoa  for a quick look around  before taking a flight back to London to check out the Christmas lights and then head to family and friends for a much needed break.

Wishing all our followers a safe and happy Christmas. While we may not be with you all this year you are never far from our hearts. 

Merry Christmas XXX