food

Ode to New York

Steve often hears me talk about NYC like an ex-boyfriend I’m still in love with. He’s very patient.

In reality, the three months I lived in New York as a college intern were sweaty, dirty, and lonely. And yet, I still consider that summer one of the best experiences of my life.

The smell of halal food at every corner. The sound of constant construction ringing in my ear. Look past the garbage bags piled up on the sidewalks and the aggressive taxicabs honking in the streets, and you’ll find a city that accepts the sweaty, dirty, and lonely-hearted. I’ve met some of the kindest, most accepting people in New York.

It’s one of the most diverse cities in the world, and that diversity is everything. People are so inclusive here, so accepting of uniqueness. A melting pot of different cultures, foods, ideas - to love New York is to love others.

When I’m in New York, I find myself walking a little faster, head held a little higher, and eyes wider to the life around me. I wander, get lost, and let myself be open to all this great city has to offer.

Munich

Munich is only a 2.5 hour flight from Dublin, but we made the mistake of taking an early morning flight. This meant we only caught a few hours of sleep in our Dublin hotel before dragging ourselves to the airport.

I was a grumpy cat for the rest of the day. Steve can attest to this. After an afternoon of being very cranky and wandering around Munich, I ended up giving in to my exhaustion and taking a long nap on a bench in Englischer Garten.

Note to self: when tired and traveling, always make time for a nap. It'll make the rest of the day much more pleasant.

THE NICEST CAR WE'LL EVER DRIVE

Steve made it a goal to tell as many people on our trip as possible that we were on our honeymoon. And I must say, it often worked in our favor.

"You're on your honeymoon?" said the gentleman at the front desk of the car rental service at the Munich airport. "You can't drive a Volkswagen on your honeymoon. I'm giving you a brand new Mercedes, fresh off the factory floor. It only has 13 km on it."

Stuff like this never happens to us. We're not the types who win lotteries, run into celebrities, or get upgrades. But, maybe we are now...

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the Architecture

We should have enjoyed our first day in Munich more because little did we know that it would rain for the rest of our visit. In the sun, the colors of the city popped unlike any city I've been in. Red flowers on the windowsill, the golden walls of the Theatine Church, the bright green trees in the gardens. Every scene could have been straight from a painting.

The architecture in the city was simply stunning. Everywhere I turned, there were monstrous, gothic-style buildings and some that reminded me of the baroque style of Versailles. We learned that the city was heavily bombed during WWII. Up to 80% of the historic buildings were destroyed and much of what we saw was rebuilt after the war.

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The food

Beer, bread, schnitzels, and strudels.

One of the neat things about Munich is that most restaurants have a beer garden or outdoor seating of some sort. We had lunch at the Park Cafe, where Steve ordered a delicious plate of pork schnitzel - lightly breaded and thinly sliced. It came with a side of lingonberry sauce and creamy dill potatoes. 

I once read in a magazine that the average German consumes over 3,500 calories a day. This doesn't surprise me considering the amount of bread and dairy and sugar I consumed during my stay. No regrets though. Everything I ate was delicious.

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One last thing...

My favorite photo of Steve.

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