Euro Trip 2015: Munich GERMANY & Vienna AUSTRIA

After Salzburg, we were en route to Munich but ran into a teensy snag.  Within our European travel we learned we were in the midst of the unfortunate and awful Syrian war refugee crisis.  The crisis had expanded and magnified in Europe, into Austria specifically, during our trip so much that Germany closed its borders and halted all trains leading to German cities.  We were aware of the political/ humanitarian issue but did not expect it to affect our travel into Germany and back into Austria.  Boy, we're we humbled by this experience.  We not only spent a part of our Salzburg visit at the train station investigating which trains were canceled (since we had already reserved our train ahead of time), and had to ask around for advice on the best travel method to Munich, but the most influential piece to this was witnessing the hundreds of refugees stranded at the train stations and border.  Traveling before having kids and seeing political turmoil or protests was not a big deal, but travel with children during something heated as this gave us some anxiety how we would proceed swiftly and safely, keeping our children's safety our first priority.

I tell you, the boys probably didn't even notice we made a change to our travel method.  We kept them busy enough with the Ipad and informed them as much we needed to of our travel plan to Munich and how it would require their cooperation and patience.  The night before our travel, we concocted a plan to take a bus from our hotel to the main bus stop where we took another bus that drove us just enough across the border into Germany, where we planned to walk to that town's train station and catch the first train to Munich.  Sounds complicated, and would have been ridiculously exhausting if we didn't have the luck of catching every.single.bus right on time, and meeting a local young woman (the red head pictured in the above photo sitting behind the boys….. who was really our guardian angel in disguise) that assisted us on the bus that took us across the border, then offered to walk us to the train station and help us in booking our train…. and this all happened in perfect timing so much so that when we got to that train station in Freilassing, the train had just arrived and we just made it in time to hop on.  It was miraculous.

The refugees stranded at the border in sweltering heat.

The boys may not remember this event, but Brad and I will never forget the feeling of having our passports checked by German military officers on the bus.  They had automatic weapons and looked intimidating.  They searched the entire bus and documents, not even batting an eyelash at us, the American citizens.  It was then that I realized what power that dark blue passport serves in seamless international travel.  There was a young businessman sitting next to us the whole bus ride who generously offered to hold one of Brad's luggage (we had quite the handful of luggage on this small city bus), who right in front of our eyes was thrown off the bus by the police and immediately arrested all because he had a Syrian passport.  There were camera men filming this and for that brief minute, Brad and I looked at each other stunned and helpless for this man.   It brought back guilt and feelings of everything I had been told about my family's escape from Communism and how Austria had offered us a safe haven at the time we desperately needed it.  This situation was honestly no different besides the refugees fleeing for their lives.  We saw so many children, so many families, and it was one of those moments where we realized how lucky we are to be US citizens and travel for pleasure….. meanwhile these people are begging to live in a country where there's no bombs being dropped on them.  

With our swift and easy transition on to the next train headed to Munich, we breathed a sigh of relief and Brad and I could finally relax.  The boys did awesome, even with all the walking and pulling of their luggage.  They are pros!  As I sat on that train and passed Syrian refugee families being escorted off the train and train terminal, I vowed that I would teach my boys all about this crisis, and that the second we got back to the States, we would help any way we could.

Our first official dinner in Munich, after checking in to the Novotel hotel.  We took a tiny break from schnitzels and feasted on these massive pizzas and salad.

The next day, we walked to Marienplatz and watched the clock chime and little statue men revolve around the clock.  It was a big crowd.

The English Garten-  Munich's very own Central Park

Surfing on the river, what a sight to see! 

 Surfers all over the world come to Munich to surf this river…. so amazing!

Vietnamese dinner out with our friends, newlyweds Mike and Julia!

Our second full day in Munich, Brad met up with Mike and other guys to enjoy the first opening day of Oktoberfest (Saturday Sept 19th)!  While daddy experienced this German tradition, I took the boys to one of the largest science museums in the world!  The boys and I had so much fun exploring it together, eating dinner together at the hotel, and going swimming!

Daddy Brad at Oktoberfest 2015!

The next day, Sunday, we took the boys to Oktoberfest when it had slightly mellowed out from the day before.  It was awesome to check this off our bucket list!  Oktoberfest is the original grandfather and king of all fairs.  The fairs in the US do not even compare to the size, magnitude, and craziness of the real Oktoberfest!  The best part was seeing all the amazing Bavarian clothes, and adorable children decked out in drndls and lederhosens!

What an experience!  We enjoyed our time in this big city, and loved our Novotel hotel (the boys especially loved this hotel for the indoor pool and children's game room!)

Monday, we found ourselves once again at the train station, hashing up a plan to get back across the border into Austria, and on to Vienna!  Our direct train to Vienna had been cancelled so we had to take two different trains.  At least this train had a whole compartment where we could spread out and have some privacy.

Vienna- arrived early Monday evening Sept 21st.  Took a taxi from the train station to the hotel where we decompressed for an hour and headed out to sightsee!  This was our last night together as a family; daddy was flying back to Toronto the next morning and the boys and I were continuing on to the Czech Republic.  We had another one of those incredible Grover family nights- spontaneous fun walking around beautiful Vienna, taking pictures of each other, dining fabulously at a fun restaurant, then after dark taking the subway up a few stops to the Prater amusement park where we had a magical time playing games, bumper cars, and a very high ferris wheel that offered a huge view of the city at night!

So much fun!!!

And to top it off, I had a major flashback of the time my parents took me to the Prater Amusement Park as a kid and took a picture of me standing in front of "king kong".  I remember feeling terrified!  As we walked by this haunted house ride I had this epiphany that I had been there before.  It was crazy, and so nostalgic!!!  I took a photo of the boys and later showed them the photo of me as a kid.  They loved it.  Another example of how spiritual and poetic this trip was!