Our morning started with a gourmet breakfast featuring homemade pancakes (and leftover flavored milk.) Around breakfast-time, Heidi and Willi’s friends Doris and Ina arrived to introduce themselves to us and the kids; they were set to watch all four kids for the day while Heidi, Willi, Amanda, and I made the trip to Munich.
After our first stop at the sad, moving, but interesting Dachau Concentration Camp, we ventured to downtown Munich to check out the famous (if touristy) Hofbräuhaus. We snagged a parking spot then made our way to the beer hall, where I had the opportunity to try my first white sausage (following a prompt from our friend Jill in a comment to our recent Salzburg post.) With a dip of sweet mustard for each bite, I thought they were pretty decent; certainly far better than I expected given the description.
Amanda and I pose outside the rear entrance to the Hofbräuhaus. (The front was too crowded!)
We made the short walk to explore the nearby Viktualienmarkt; seemingly dominated by meat and cheese vendors, we walked away with just a few samplings of dried fruit and Turkish delight candy. I also tried my first döner kebab at an adjacent shop; it was good, but I was also pretty full so only was able to sample a few bites. I did take the opportunity to enjoy a Coca-Cola in a glass bottle, much more readily available in Europe than the United States.
A portion of the fruit selection at one Viktualienmarkt vendor.
My first döner kebab experience of the trip at a small shop in Munich.
We were back in Eichstätt by 6:30 p.m.; I dropped off Heidi, Willi, and Amanda to see the kids while I made one final run to the Edeka grocery store. (Grocery stores are closed Sundays in Germany.) The main goal of the trip was to pickup a few bars of European candy to take back with us to the United States.
The sign at the Edeka market in Eichstätt.
As a small thank-you to the babysitters, we all (sans Amanda and Noah) went to Gelati del Vicolo, one of several ice cream shops in Eichstätt. Emmie opted for a small bowl with green apple and strawberry ice cream; looking for a bigger serving, I requested a cone sacked with green apple, chocolate, and lemoncella.
Our babysitters Doris and Ina pose with their ice cream.
Still hungry after my three-scoop cone, I relied on Willi to convey my request to translate my request to try a small sample of every other flavor available at the shop. They complied and the girl behind the counter proceeded to create a giant bowl of ice cream. While it would have been too much for me to finish, it was no problem with the dedicated help from Sophia and Emmie.
We walked across the Altmühl River going from the ice cream shop to the parking lot. Emmie enjoyed the view from the bridge.
Gas in Europe is sold by the liter and priced here at €1.42, or about $6.00 per gallon.
After filling up our rental car, we were back to our home for the night; the kids went to bed pretty well, giving Heidi and Willi a chance to introduce us to a new game, Caracassone. It had been on my radar for a while as it was ranked number one on a recent list compiled by baseball analyst (and board game expert) Keith Law. Along with the game, we sampled a few kinds of Tuc crackers, German cheeses, and some fine salami I picked up earlier in the evening at the Edeka market.
