Looking back on my week-long trip to Germany and Austria, I am still amazed by how much I was able to fit into one week. I don't think I could have kept up the same pace for another week, but it would have been nice to have more time to explore the region. 

After landing and dropping our bags off at our Airbnb (we stayed in this flat for reference and I can't recommend it enough!) we grabbed a sandwich in the train station and visited Dachau since many of the other sites were not open on Sundays. I had mixed feelings about beginning the trip with Dachau since I knew that it would weigh heavy on my heart. Seeing the camp in person helped bring to life the Holocaust history and literature lessons in high school and nothing can quite prepare you for it.

After we arrived back in Munich, we had dinner at Geisinger Garten, a neighborhood Bavarian restaurant, at the recommendation of our Airbnb host and it did not disappoint. It was the first of many meals of pork, dumplings, pickled veggies and beer to come for the week. And I didn't hate it one bit.

Monday was spent on a day trip to the medieval town of Regensburg, about 2.5 hours northeast of Munich. It was just Samantha and I and a Canadian couple along with our tour guide. The village was unique in that all within about ten minutes you could see part of the Roman wall, a 14th century cathedral and Zara. The town center, with its narrow lanes of pastel-colored buildings, reminded me a lot of Nice. One of the highlights of the day was eating lunch at Wurstkuchl, the oldest sausage stand in the world. They've had 500 years to perfect sausage, sauerkraut and sweet mustard. 

Tuesday was our last day in Munich before we caught a late afternoon train to Salzburg. In each city, we opted to do the Rick Steves Walking Tour on his Radio Europe app. If you like going at your own pace, I would highly recommend them. They were a great way to get aquainted with the city center and know where museums or sites are to revisit and explore more indepth. 

The walking tour took about 3-4 hours (with stops for snacks at 3 hour intervals of course) and took us by Marienplatz, St. Peter's Church, Viktualienmarkt, Asam Church, Hofbrauhaus, Residenz, Hofgarten and Englischer Garten to name a few. From many of the blogs I read in preparing for the trip, the consensus was that Munich was a fantastic hub to take day trips to Bavaria from, but didn't require much time in itself for exploration. I would agree with that. It would have been nice to have had a full day to not feel as rushed. Although we did end up dozing off on a park bench in the English Garden before heading back to the train station, so perhaps I couldn't have lasted on my feet all day after all.  

I would like to end this semi-brief recap of my trip with a warning to never fly United internationally. About halfway into the 9 hour flight, after the dinner service and the lights were turned off, I had a brief moment I didn't think I would be able to make it through the remainder of the flight. I know that sounds awfully dramatic, but coach was like a cattle car, especially when the person in front of you decides to recline their seat and there were only four in-flight movies to choose from so don't count on that being a distraction. End rant.

It's been pretty much decided that this Labor Day while everyone else is enjoying a day out on the lake, Samantha and I will be living out our dream of becoming a von Trapp. Seven days spent traipsing through the Bavarian Alps on a diet of bratzel and melted cheese is my idea of the perfect vacation. I'm still trying to come up with the perfect hashtag for the trip so said people out on their boats can follow along and realize how their vacation pales in comparison. 

To prepare for this adventure, I'm reading up on all of the Austrian Wars of Succession, and when that gets a little dull and/or confusing without the help of a timeline, I'm filling in the gaps by reading The Accidental Empress by Allison Pataki. Side note: The Meet the Habsburgs promotional photoshoot Sarah and Kiel were a part of is kind of my favorite thing ever.

The week's tentative agenda will include visits to: 

Flickr Creative Commons | Rossella Di Maria

Neuschwanstein Castle - Because who doesn't want to pretend to be Cinderella for a little while? Plus, the hike up the hill to the castle will help burn off some of the calories from my strict bratzel, cheese and streusel diet. 

Munich Olympic Park - I'm obsessed with the Olympics, which more than likely stems from my severe lack of any sort of athletic ability, so I'm looking forward to exploring the site of the 1972 summer games.

Flickr Creative Commons | Christian Scheja

Dachau - In high school english, we did an extended lesson on Holocaust history, and although I know that this will be an extremely sobering experience, I think it will help to give a frame of reference to all of the books and history lessons I've read through on the subject.

Pinakothek Museum - The Pinakothek is one of the oldest art galleries in the world and houses one of the most famous collections of Old Master paintings (according to Wikipedia). I'm a master of the "stare - stand back - sigh" method of observing art and in my mind it makes me look like an art expert.

Flickr Creative Commons | amador_emmanuel34

Sound of Music tour - To fulfill my dream of being Leisel. That is all.

Mönchsberg Walk - According to Rick Steves, the Mönchsberg Walk is the "hills are alive" stroll you can enjoy in the heart of Salzburg. And who am I to argue with Rick Steves?

Flickr Creative Commons | Donald Windley

Munich Residenz - This former royal palace of the Bavarian monarchs of the House of Wittelsbach is the largest city palace in Germany. This will act as a point of comparision to the many palaces of the Habsburgs in Vienna.

Flickr Creative Commons | Iker

Everything related to the Habsburgs - Castles, artwork, more palaces, armour, musical instruments, ancient Greek statues, I want to see it all. To include, but not limited to, the Hofburg Imperial Apartments, Hofburg Treasury, Schönbrunn Palace (because everyone needs a summer palace as well) and the Hofburg New Palace Museums.

Cathedrals - Not to brag or anything, but my semester in Paris made me an expert on gothic cathedral architecture. Seriously, I could talk about apses, narthexes and naves for hours. I preferred the French and British cathedrals to the Italian (which are the Real Housewives of New Jersey of cathedrals) and I'm looking forward to compare the German style as well.

My passport is sitting, gathering dust in my safe. It's time that it is broken out again. Samantha and I are in the beginning stages of planning our next great adventure. I can't be more excited about it. It started as a Nordic adventure through the fjords of Finland, Norway and Sweden and then we decided that since we missed out on the Sound of Music tour when we were studying abroad, it needed to be bumped up to the top of the list. 

Salzburg than turned into a Germany and Austria trip through the alps. On the (tentative) agenda is Munich, Neuschwanstein, Garmisch, Salzburg and Vienna. I will simultaneously be Heidi, Julie Andrews and a Hapsburg waltzing around Vienna.

Next October cannot come soon enough. I have forgotten how much I missed planning elaborate vacations. The hardest part is narrowing down just where in the world I want to go. On the one hand, I want to throw a dart and go wherever it lands. But on the other hand, I have kept an ever-growing list of wanderlust that needs to be checked off.

And now the real fun begins.

First on my list: Pick the perfect hashtag for the trip. 

Second: Start learning German. Duolingo will be my new best friend.

Third: Refresh my memory on the dozens of wars of Austrian succession.

And now I need your help: Have you visited Bavaria, Salzburg or Vienna? What would you recommend to eat/see/do there?