Back in USA, back home in Alpine

It was a terrific and memorable trip across the pond. While the primary reason for our trip was to visit and spend time with our daughter, son in law, and 3-year-old granddaughter who live in Krakow, we also scouted out several European cities we have not yet been to. 
Flying into and out of Munich was a great idea because it allowed us a couple of stops along the way to Krakow and back again. 
So here, in a nutshell, is what we did:

• Spent a couple of days in Munich touring the city

New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus) with its famous Glockenspiel

Court Gardens (Hofgarten)

yes there really is surfing along the Isar River in Munich!
sceptics can read more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eisbach_(Isar)

when in Munich, do as the original monks intended and enjoy the brew! 

• Took the bus from Munich to Prague where daughter and family met us and we spent the weekend touring together

Old Town Square with spires of Our Lady Before Tyn and sculpture of Huss

exquisite and detailed architecture

each building uniquely adorned

Radler (for me) and dark ale (for him)...apparently size matters!

I was captivated by the intricate designs of the sidewalks and enthralled with the amount of work and detail required to lay these stones into patterns, which would in fact make terrific quilt block designs

view across the Vltava River - Prague is a city of colorful fondant building facades, each outdoing the next with incredibly detailed ornamentation and murals...it surely must have been an artist's mecca at one point... the chair on the wall is a
reminder of the devastating floods of 2006

• Drove from Prague to Krakow with the family, where we spent the next three weeks together entertained by our lively, 3-year-old granddaughter

Klara chasing pigeons in Krakow's Old Town Square

Michael with Michelle and Klara, and St Mary's Cathedral in background

browsing through the Sukiennice (covered market hall) for Polish handmade crafts

• Took the train to Ostrow for the weekend to visit family friends, toured the area, and went for a hike in the forest

The Nativity of Our Lady in Kotlow church (established 1180),
where Frederyk Chopin played in 1829 when visiting his godmother 

it was mushroom season - these are edible

these are edible

these are lethal

• The same family friends drove us to Wrocław to tour the city and catch the overnight bus back to Munich

Wrocław Market Square 

pretty buildings in the square 

old city hall

hunting for Wrocław's gnomes scattered throughout the city

The spectacular panorama depicting the Battle of Raclawice fought against the Russians in 1794 ,
in which American Revolutionary hero Tadeusz Kosciusko fought

the panorama is located in a rotunda, and is 374 ft long (114m) by 49 ft high (15m)

the display includes 3-dimensional features that simply appear to be a part of the painting

Germany's popular and well used bus network

• Returned to Munich, toured the BMW Welt and Museum, visited a couple of Bavarian castles, and experienced Okotoberfest before flying home

outside BMW Welt

the BMW lineup

the old with the new

BMW started out manufacturing motorcycles

Elvis Presley's BMW

Linderhoff Palace grounds with fountain

pretty Bavarian chalets

Neuschwanstein, the real fairy princess castle

the spectacular Bavarian countryside

Oktoberfest beer comes in 1 litre tankards

a Munich staple...beer and pretzels

an exceedingly jam packed and noisy Oktoberfest beer hall

We saw and learned a lot, spent quality time with our family, and had a wonderful time. And since Oktoberfest seems to start in September, beer became a daily menu item. Now, those who know me would be rather surprised to see me drinking beer... however I discovered Radler, a beer shandy that is sweet and goes down oh, so smoothly! 
I probably drank more beer in 4 weeks than in my lifetime...so far....

We learned to navigate the excellent European transportation system, hopping on an off trains, and also discovered that traveling by bus is a great and inexpensive way to travel while seeing something of the countryside. Perhaps it's because we are so used to traveling in our Alpine that bus travel seems like a great alternative to trains. The trips to Prague and back to Munich were comfortable and convenient. And although we were a little apprehensive about the 12-hour overnight drive back to Munich, it turned out to be not at all bad. 

It was a good trip but in the end, as the good saying goes: East, West, Home's best. We are glad to be back in our own home, own bed and bathroom. 
We spent the past week at Lake Pleasant RV Park, got over jet-lag, caught up on laundry, and took care of a few appointments and other matters. We're ready to roll again, sights set for the upcoming Texas rally. Tomorrow we begin the south-bound trek, heading to Bend where we will spend the week visiting Michael's sister and family.