April 8-14

I'm writing this from notes I've been taking each day, knowing that I would have trouble finding the time to get to the computer and add it to the blog. It's actually Sunday, April 28th. I can hardly wrap my head around the fact that we have less than a month left before we go home to Virginia. Posting these photos and writing these posts has helped me celebrate everything we've had a chance to experience. The girls (and J and I) have mixed feelings about returning home. We miss friends and family. We miss the extra space--although it's been a good exercise in simplicity and I love being able to clean the whole apartment in less than an hour. But it will be hard to go back to driving everywhere... So, here's what we've been up to:

Monday & Tuesday, April 8th & 9th

Pretty typical days: groceries, laundry, catching up with some household chores. I went to choir practice Monday evening. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Wednesday, April 10th

I spent the morning working on the blog and doing some editing for the MennoMedia project. I had a coaching session with Stellario in the afternoon, so practiced some at home before heading in to town.

We had dinner at the home of the pastor of the Liberale Mennonitengemeinde München. After my coaching session, I stopped at the Viktualienmarkt on the way home to get some flowers--it's traditional to bring a gift of some kind (often flowers or a bottle of wine) to this sort of thing. We enjoyed the conversation. The pastor, AJ, is a Russian Mennonite whose family was able to emigrate to Germany in the 70's from Ukraine. She was 13 years old when they moved to Bayern. She still speaks Platdeutsch with her mother. Amazing story of survival. Some of her family are in Canada, some didn't survive the work camps.

A market stand in the city center (on the way to my lesson). It's Spargel (asparagus) season! Germans love their white Spargel, but now they also have green.

My lessons have been in Stellario's sunny office lately due to the choir room being used for other rehearsals.

Maypole in the center of the Viktualienmarkt

Thursday, April 11th

Super excited! My sister and niece arrived today! I left a little before 9 a.m. to take the bus and S-Bahn to the airport. Their flight arrived on time and once they had their luggage, we were on our way. We had a light lunch at the apartment and then went for a walk through the neighborhood, stopping to get some Brot from the Ihle Bäckerei and some groceries from the REWE City. HR was the first to get home from school. She hugged her cousin and her aunt, then grabbed her cello to race back to school for a lesson--last lesson before the two-week Easter break.

My niece, GK, and my sister, RG.

Friday, April 12th

We left R and G to sleep a little more and rode our bikes over to the Himmelfahrtskirche near the Klenze Gymnasium. ME was helping with the Ostergottestdienst (Easter Worship Service) and the 7th grade classes and parents were invited to attend. HR sat between me and J. We were surprised to learn that ME was helping with not just the prelude music (trumpet duet with her friend J), but also with the responsive reading, a skit, accompanying the hymns on piano, and playing interlude music while the congregation brought their handwritten offerings to the box at the center! So glad she's gotten so involved and comfortable.

After the service, we split up: J went to write in a café, HR went to school for the rest of her classes, and I headed back to the apartment to get my sister and niece. We promised HR and GE that we would be home for lunch so that they could come out with us in the afternoon, so instead of heading into the city center, we walked to the Aroma Kaffeebar in the Glockenbachviertel and then wandered down through the side streets, passing GE's school, and stopping at a Trachtenmode (traditional fashion) shop.

Cappuccinos and hot chocolate!

This little lady is getting so grown up. So much fun to show her around and teach her some German words and phrases.

One of all time favorite coffee shops...

A traditional Dirndl! On sale too.

After HR and GE came home from school we had lunch at the apartment and then headed into the city center. GE had a last minute birthday party invitation to a classmate's sleepover, so we dropped her off on our way to the U-Bahn. Nice that HR got some one-on-one time with her cousin! We explored the Altstadt and had supper at the pizzeria, Berni's Nudelbrett, overlooking the Viktualienmarkt, then took the bus home.

Lighting candles at the Frauenkirche, Munich's Dom cathedral.

We said a prayer for NB, a family friend from home who was battling for her life at UVA's ICU (sepsis; she didn't survive.)

Heart-shaped pizzas!

My go-to Italian restaurant salad. YUM!

Meanwhile, GE was at her friend's sleepover party! They went to Heldenverlies and played some sort of adventure game that involved magic, cards, and leveling up--sort of like a real-life video game? D&D? She didn't sleep much, but had a great time. [photos by friend's mom]

Birthday girl is second from the right (red coat)

Saturday, April 13th


My sister joined me for my morning run along the river. We stopped at the Ihle Bäckerei on the way back to pick up fresh Semmeln (Brötchen) for breakfast. After we got cleaned up, we picked up GE from her friend's house, packed lunches, and headed into the city center again. We took them to see the Glockenspiel on the Neues Rathaus, visited the Spielzeugmuseum, walked through the Hofbräuhaus (which was hopping with people and live brass band), then headed home for naps. I took my bike out to get groceries while R and GE slept. HR and GK snuck out to get Eis and later GE took her out again--thankfully only got one Eis for herself and not another for her cousin; although I think there was some sharing. My girls are loving getting to show their independence and take their cousin out for mini-excursions in our neighborhood. There are whole parts of my daughters' experiences of living in Munich that I know very little about because they have their sort-of-secret places they like to go when I send them outside with instructions to "be home by..." Going to miss this.

The weather has been cool, but mostly sunny. Thankful that it's not raining too much while they're here.

The Spielzeugmuseum (toy museum) is housed in the tower of the Altes Rathaus.

Admiring the work in progress...

Antique teddy-bear with an x-ray image of how he's strung together (with wire!)

Käthe Kruse dolls! My favorites.

Creepy! The girls thought this one's eyes were so strange.

Coffee at the outside tables of the Rischart Café am Marienplatz while we wait for the Glockenspiel to start.

Fancy hot chocolate!

Eating her packed lunch: Belegte Semmel

The Marienplatz was teaming with people!

In the evening, we left the girls with J and went to the Alte Utting for hot drinks out under the night sky. Great to just sit and catch up on life.

The live band was popular--standing room only! 

Sunday, April 14th

This morning we dressed up--the girls in their Dirndls--and went to a matinee concert in the Herkulessaal of the Residenz. Wonderful music featuring young soloists. We went home for lunch, then out to the Alte Utting again--this time with the girls. They ordered crêpes. On the walk home we stopped to let them play at a playground. In the evening we watched part of the live streamed MSC Choral Festival concert--MK was singing with the EMS Touring Choir. Tomorrow officially begins the two-week Osterferien (Easter vacation) and we have daily excursions planned--some touristy, some just fun.

Three times people stopped us to comment on how lovely the girls looked and to ask whether they were "echte Dirndln" (real Dirndln)?

The Mendelssohn Violin Concerto was our favorite! He played a couple of Paganini solo pieces as an encore before the intermission. I also really loved the Brahms symphony--especially since one of my senior projects in college included a careful analysis of this work. Took me back...

The Alte Utting ship on the train tracks