January 28 - February 3

Ok, this is getting ridiculous. Suffice it to say, I haven't been sitting down to write every day or so, and now I can't really remember... I have photos and my calendar to help jog my memory, but it's hard to weed out the more interesting tidbits from the boring day-to-day stuff! The weeks are blending together and time is going by entirely too fast. The girls are doing well. ME keeps passing her tests and surprise quizzes (we're not surprised by this). GE and HR are keeping up with their music lessons and tutoring, have the occasional outing or play date with school friends, and amuse themselves with a borrowed Nintendo Switch when they've finished their homework. It's both fascinating and infuriating how everything has become so normalized. I feel like I need to keep reminding them that this is special, it's not going to last. Meanwhile I just want to sink into every day. I find myself marveling at the weather every time it shifts. I think to myself, "Oh! I need a picture of that... and that... and look at the sky! Look at the light on those buildings." I'm afraid it's all going so fast that the girls don't see it. That they won't see it. And then all of a sudden it will be over and time to go home to Virginia. I'm happy to admit that if some crazy flip switched in the universe and something happened to let us all stay here, I'd seriously not say no. But since I know that's unlikely, I keep trying to make every day count, to mark every moment with something memorable, and I'm taking a lot of pictures.

Monday, January 28th

I'm pretty sure Monday was boring: groceries, editing work, practice, choir... I really should sit down and write a little every evening, sort of like a diary, but there always seems to be something better to do.

At the Frauenchor rehearsal, the director has started making little side comments about me not being here after May and can't I just stay? Send the girls back and just stay here myself. Hah! I'd stay in a heartbeat, but not without my girls and J.

Tuesday, January 29th

I went to the Munich International Women's Club German conversation group again. We met in the upstairs restaurant area of the Oberpollinger department store. I had tea and we chatted for over an hour. The two German women who host the group are great at steering the conversation towards topics we can all talk about despite different levels of language aptitude. Several of us non-native speakers have become "regulars" so we're planning a lunch together later in February.

I ate my packed lunch after the group broke up and studied my new arias with the music and recordings, then walked clear to the other end of the pedestrian zone to the Staatsoper for my session with Stellario.

Still very cold and snowy! But the sky and the light were stunning.

The front of the Nationaltheater which houses the Bayerische Staatsoper.

I need to check this out!! Children's opera?!

Went by the Musik Bibliothek at the Gasteig after my lesson to find the Verdi arias I'm supposed to start working on. I pass the Volksbad on the way up the hill. The clouds were so dramatic against the old yellow stucco and white tower. Many of the older buildings in Munich are this golden color of yellow. Not sure if that has an historical significance or not...

A golden yellow building across from my kitchen window (see previous caption)

Wednesday, January 30th

I've been looking forward to this day for several weeks... I signed up to join the MIWC long walk group for an all day hike. The weather, unfortunately, was not as lovely as yesterday, but at least it wasn't raining or snowing. I dressed in layers, put some toe warmers in my boots (it wasn't forecast to reach much over freezing temps), and packed a lunch, tea thermos, and water bottle. I took a bus and then a Tram all the way to the last station at Grünwald, south of the city. Our hiking path took us along the Isar to our lunch/break destination, Gasthaus Zur Mühle. After lunch we headed back, but took a different path that went along the ridge above the river. There was quite a bit of snow and ice, so we took things pretty carefully. Some people had spike straps for their boots while others had walking poles similar to ski poles with sharp tips. I was very glad for my good boots, but still wished I could walk easily without having to stare at my feet all the time!

Burg Grünwald (this may require a return visit with kids!) Our hike began right down the street from the Burg.

The Isar river.

There are ruins of the Roman road that passed through here and crosses the river. Historians still aren't sure how they crossed--whether it was shallower then or if they had some sort of bridge or ferry. Can you make out the Roman soldier made out of metal atop this rock at the edge of the water where the road enters the water?

Sign identifying the different birds one might see in this area.

Our path took us along the east side of the river.

Stopped for a tea/water break.

Our lunch and mid-hike destination: Gasthaus zur Mühle

A fire in the giant wood stove!

Headed back along the river. We stayed on this path for a bit and then took a steep path up to the ridge path.

Up, up, up we go!

Made it!

Beautiful old farmstead in Grünwald as we made our way back to the Tram station.

Oh my what a day! 😲😲

Thursday, January 31st

Today I had another unusual appointment: a life coaching session with my friend, JL, a licensed Life Coach. I won the hour-long session by participating in her online Advent Calendar in December. Each day of Advent she posted one random act of kindness that we could do and then participants would post how they completed the act. Some were simple: feed the birds and squirrels; tell every service person you meet "Thank you" for the job they're doing (like the bus driver, checkout lady, bathroom janitor, etc.). Others needed a little more thought and effort. It was fun to do something not food related, so I only missed a few of the activities. Anyway, I won this hour of coaching by being the most active participant. So, I took a bus and U-bahn out to her home and we talked about stuff... What are my take-aways from this experience? How can I create better work-life balance when I return to Virginia? What brings me joy? And so on. It was sort of like a really me-focused girl-friend conversation. She was great at bringing the conversation back to the big questions when I'd go off on a story-telling tangent.

From there I took the S-Bahn into the city center and met my friend from choir for lunch. Her dad died right after Christmas and we'd talked only briefly after last Sunday's church service at the Himmelfahrtskirche, so we made plans to talk more over lunch. She suggested one of her favorite lunch spots: Yum2Take, an Asian fusion place near the Viktualienmarkt. It was good to catch up and although it was stressful and emotional, her dad's death was not unexpected and they had time to say their good-byes. At choir rehearsal in the evening we sat together--she came to sit by me. I am so filled with gratitude to have made such a deep connection with someone here who also shares the choir experience. It makes going to choir absolutely one of my favorite things each week.

The Himmelfahrtskirchen Chor has begun working on their next big work: Händel's Brockes Passion. I had not even heard of this work! I'm excited to learn it and to hear the soloists when we perform it in April. At last week's rehearsal, the director asked me if I could sing with the Capellchor (chamber choir) on their Cantata Sunday in early March. It's the day after we were planning to return from our winter holiday trip, so I talked it over with J and decided that I'd take a train back a day early from Lübeck so I could be there for the dress rehearsal and the performance. Following the regular choir rehearsal, the smaller Capellchor stayed for our first rehearsal of the Bach Cantata BMV 93 "Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten." Late night! The buses run less frequently after 9 p.m., so I took an U-Bahn to Goetheplatz and then had further to walk to get home. It was well after 11 until I was in bed. Oof!

Glorious sun and slightly warmer temps today! Soaking it in for as long as it lasts.

The Altes Rathaus on the Marienplatz in downtown Munich.

My meeting spot to meet up with E, my friend from choir, was the Fischbrunnen in the Marienplatz.

Friday, February 1st

J came home from Italy! Yay! The girls were very bouncy and I am happy to have him around again. Can't believe how quickly the two months of his fellowship at the EUI flew by!

In the morning I worked on the copy editing project. After lunch GE went to piano and HR had a Mathe tutoring session while I popped over to the little grocery around the corner for a few things for the weekend. After J got home around 4 and had time to unpack and wind down a bit, we went out on a dinner date. We had a delicious meal--truly one of the best we've had all year--at the Restaurant Laurin in the Hotel am Markt (Viktualienmarkt).

My lovely light salad and hot tea.

J's appetizer with smoked salmon and salad.

J's main with some kind of Schweinefleisch, root vegetable puree, and roasted cabbage spear?

I got one of the daily specials: a fish Eintopf (stew) with prawns, chunks of white fish, vegetables, and herbs. It was soooo satisfying on a cold winter evening!

Cozy atmosphere!

Sunday, February 2nd

SNOW! We stayed in and stayed warm. Kids went out for a bit in the afternoon but we otherwise played games, read books, and napped. Perfect snow day.

Morning. You can still make out the pavement where people have walked and the tree branches only have about an inch or two of snow so far. By the end, there was over 1/2 a foot, I'm sure.

Evening... snowy branches and sidewalks.

It snowed ALL day and finally quit around midnight. This is what it looked like around 10 p.m. from our kitchen window.