Cologne, the Dom and the Rhine

Another amazing weekend in Germany! This time with a little more company, THE MASONS!

We went to the Hannover main station friday morning and got ready to board the train. Matt had a paper to work and since his adult ticket is valid in 1st class, that was the obvious place to do it. My youth ticket however is only valid in second class so I read the signs and followed the platform down to my area. We lost each before the train even arrived. We didn't realize that we had boarded DIFFERENT TRAINS until I was 10 minutes from the heart Cologne and Matt was stuck in a different city trying to board another train since his shut down! While I was bored waiting for Matt to arrive I wandered outside and as soon as my eyes could adjust to the sunlight my jaw dropped. The Cologne Dom (or Cathedral) was breathtaking! It would stun even the most jaded of travelers with its grand and gothic massive spires:
Once we regrouped and dropped our bags at the hotel we wandered the city. We saw men in costumes, accordion players, skateboarding tricks, rollerblade groups doing insane movements, chalk artists in front of the cathedral, throngs of scary punk people (no offensive Lauren) and their dogs, a pianist with his instrument on wheels and more! The city was so alive and eclectic. After our wanderings we sat down for dinner on the Rhine River. Although it was about 40 something degrees, while in europe i can never resist a quaint table outside on the patio. (Almost freezing weather is nothing a space heater and blanket can't fix right?)

It started to get dark and we knew the Mason Family was in the same city as us so we mustered up our best set of stalking skills and tried to track them down. After much splitting up, asking 2 different hotels if they had Mason guests, circling the town and every nearby major attraction... we found them! It was so dark that it took them about 2 minutes to deduce that it was their cousins ruining the family photo they were trying to take.

Day 2: Woke up and headed to the Köln Dom to meet the gang. I just have to tell everyone that matt ate 2 Berliners (better known as jelly doughnuts in the states) for breakfast! Yuck/yum. We went and explored the MASSIVE cathedral. That pretty stone structure had everything in it- exquisite tapestries, stained glass windows, multiple organs and sets of pipes, an awesome mosaic floor,relics, bones and jewelry of their patron saints and catacombs of many other saints (some definitely over 100 years old and some just 10 years old!) It was amazing. My favorite part of the experience was getting to climb the 533 stairs to the belfry in the tallest spire. The narrow staircase had people squeezing their way both up and down, and the view of the city and river was amazing.

The Cathedral Staircase

The view from the top.

Next we walked down the river and headed over to the Lint Chocolate Factory/Museum. They had multiple exhibits but the only thing that really sticks out was the chocolate fountain. The fountain was a tower of gold coco beans with a vat of swirling chocolate beneath them. If you waited patiently behind the velvet rope (or just cut to the front everytime like we did) you are greeted by a lady in white clothes handing you wafers dripping with chocolate from the fountain. It was amazing! I dont think any of us had less than 5, and Ty probably had about ten but Colin was the obvious favorite of the chocolate lady.

Chocolate fountain

Simulated Rain Forrest where they grow a coco tree.

We tried about 5!

We got some quick lunch at the station, and tried to find the 7411 Eau De Cologne museum. Yes thats right everybody, Cologne has its name because of the frenchman who came here and invented the perfume water. Interesting tidbit: his original creation was first sold as a cure-all ointment. Before we made it there however we stumbled across a random small museum that Heidi had gone to on her last visit here so we took a detour. That small historic museum was so cool! German history is so interesting, especially in this catholic town. The paintings and armor were very cool and the WWII history was sobering. We finally made it to Eau de Cologne and all put on some cologne water from the little fountain. It was fun.

We walked around the big and crowded shopping district, then ate dinner at the highly recommended XII Apostle. Each of their pizza's is named for a different apostle (the Judas pizza was the most spicy). We all had full belly's and decided to take a stroll before the premeditated sin we would commit later that night known as dessert.

We walked down to see if the puppet theatre was open- it wasn't. But the fair across the River was! So we followed the flashing lights and ventured across not knowing what we would find. We found bumper cars that went faster than any we've seen in america, a candy wagon, and the craziest ride Matt, Ty or I have ever been on! It was on the same par as X2 at Magic Mountain! The stats showed it reached a speed of about 60 miles an hour, and had a force of 4G's. At one point I swore I was about to black out! Most of the time we were just laughing and screaming uncontrollably but there was one point where everyone just got silent because the force was so great it just paralyzed you! I couldn't believe a ride like that would be at a mobile fair. This video of it/post ride interview doesn't do it justice I swear. The cage flips like crazy at the climax of the ride.



We went back with so much renewed energy and pride in our accomplishment that we ran almost the entire way across the bridge. For dessert we got amazing apple strudels. By our last bite we were just exhausted from our day. The next morning we woke up still tired and had a nice breakfast before we headed home. Another great weekend :)

For the ADD in my family and for my busy friends - here is the short version:
Trip High: Tie between the 533 stair climb to the top of the tower and the insane ride at the fair.
Trip Low: The freeeeezing wind!
Trip confession: While watching the street performers I secretly really wanted to be one.
Favorite Picture:

Cologne Skyline

Easter weekend in Copenhagen

We treated ourselves to another rented Mercedes and hit the road on Friday morning. Here is a snap shot of us cross the ocean From Germany to Denmark:

We had to take the Ferry to make the jump from the island to the mainland. It reminded me of taking the Ferry in Seattle when we would visit my Dad's side of the family. So to keep even more of the Rylander tradition alive I made Matt play a card game with me while we sailed. I let him win until we were about to dock, then I killed him in less than 60 seconds in a game of speed. He felt hustled but decided he loved me anyways.

The Ferry ride to Denmark

Fun on the Ferry

When we arrived in Copenhagen we checked into the brand new 4 star Crown Plaza Hotel (thank you Hotwire for the deal!). We ditched our bags and got on the tram (which has no drivers in Denmark, it is all automated) and decided we would get off at the stop that the most people got off at and deem it the center of downtown. Following the crowd payed off this time and by just walking around the city we immediately fell in love with it! Even while we were on the tram on the way in we could tell this was our kind of town just by the way everyone was dressed. The buildings were remarkable. There was creativity and originalitz oozing from every street corner. There were more statues, sculptures and works of art out on the streets than I could count. We felt happy and productive just walking around becuase it was just one of those places that needed to be experienced rather than to hit the major tourist attractions (we tried to do both).

Wall Art/good advice!

This was my favorite statue in town! As some of you know, I have a real gift for balancing on my hands. They say art imitates life, but in this case it is the other way around (can you see me??)

For dinner we walked into a random hotel and asked for suggestions. We were led to Jensen's Beef House for a traditional Danish meal. That is where rachael had steak number 1 and where we discoverd The Queens Delight! If you have never met her, let me do the introductions...

Meet The Queen. A waffle pilled mess with ice cream, chocolate sauce, strawberry gooiness and hazelnuts.

She was indeed a delight.

After dinner we wandered around some more and and decided to go to a little jazz club that I had found in my online research. It turned out to be so fun! It was this small, classy and jam packed club/bar. The band was squished under the staircase but they rocked their bluesy hearts out. Matt got chummy with the Drummer and he assured us that getting involved in the music scene was the right thing to do in Copenhagen becuase it was a town filled with culture. We had a great time listening and talking with the exception of the singer screaming "He** Yeeeah!" the entire night. Haha, we loved the Mojo Movers.

The band: The Mojo Movers

Saturday morning we awoke and set off for Kronburg Castle. This is the very castle that the Denmark royalty of old lived in. And even more exciting to me, it is the castle that Shakespeare set his play Hamlet to. During our tour, the tour guide was ever so apologetic to be the one to tell us that Hamlet was fictional... but he did tell us of another prince of Denmark who's father was killed, who's mother remarried his uncle, and who killed his uncles spy on accident and was sent to another country. The story starts to stray from Shakespeare's version when he comes back, throws a party, and when everyone falls asleep he wraps them in tapestries and lit them all on fire. No wonder Shakespeare version was the hit.

Here it is.

I want a door just like this some day. Preferably without the Dungeon or Barn attached..

Before the tour of where the king and queen lived started we walked through the erie and dark casemates. We were told that in Denmark casemate means house in darkness. When we walked through we learned that underneath the castle the burrowed tunnels and rooms in the stone to house the soldiers the would recruit in times of war. Under the castle the casemates could hold up to 1,000 Soldiers with their guns and food storage.

Also in this underground labryinth was a statue of Holger the Dane. Legend has it that he laid sleeping in a cave and would wake up whenever Denmark was threatened and protect them.

Holger the Dane.

In this courtyard every summer Hamlet is performed by different groups. We came to early to see a play but we saw pictures of the chinese version, the breakdance version, and a childrens version.

This castle has the biggest Ballroom in all of Europe.

On the ceilings were pictures depicting their favorite stories and myths. Such a fun idea, I might steal it one day.

During the tour I sensed a little disdain for the Swedish because of all the precious things they looted when they took over and occupied the castle for a time. So I LOVED it when we saw the cannons pointing their way!

It was so fun to get to see a REAL castle!

After our journey north, we made our way back down to Copenhagen and stopped at Bakken, the worlds oldest amusement park! It boasts 400 years of activity. Although there was nothing old about it, except the outdated and kinda freaky characters.

Here is Matt with our first Kroner Bill.

How disgusting is this Beef Bar?? And the faces painted on the windows were just disturbing.

I copied the gross girls face on the beef bar because

I ate 4 steaks while we were in Copenhagen. 4 STEAKS.

After the Castle and the Amusement park we finished the day with The Shout Out Louds. They are a band from Sweden who just put out a new album after a couple years hiatus. They were sooo fun!

Sunday, or Easter, was so pleasant. We woke up and had a 3 course brunch, listened to some General Conference and hit the pavement to explore some more.

Isn't Copenhagen charming??

This is me spooning the ice cream scoops. Matt made me take this picture because I have had ice cream practically everyday since we've been married :)

This is where we had our perfect Easter dinner. To show our loyalty to America we ate Barock (Obama)'s. I got my 3rd steak, and matt got a nice salmon fillet. It is funny to watch the waiter bring out our meals and get a little confused when the lad insists that the steak is hers and the salmon is Matt's.

We actually didn't eat there becuase of the name, it was

becuase we were obsessed with this outdoor nook.

Monday, our last day in Scandanavia, we thought we would hit some of the major sights. While we were making our way to the Palace we saw this pretty church (pictured below). The spire was so amazing with all that black and gold we couldn't stop starring! All that staring payed off when we noticed that it was an outdoor staircase! We always love to get a nice panoramic view of the city so we drove over to make the 170 step climb to the top even though it was pouring rain.

Here is the Church.

The stairway got so narrow at the top.

The view from the top; Copenhagen.

We got to the Palace just in time to see the Changing of the Guards. It was so cool! I don't know how they do all that marching while keeping their feet so flat. We got a little too close a few times and were quickly shewed away:

The Palace really was pretty. When we walked by the night before you could see some chandeliers glittering through the windows. It was great to see all the action in the light. The statue behind us is of Christian the 5th. All of Denmark's kings were alternately named Christian and Frederick.

While you stand in the Royal courtyard looking out, this is your view:

Matt thought this Church was so incredible

and it was!

Here are the 12 apostels starring down at us from the ceiling.

We walked back to the hotel going through different malls to avoid the rain and we found this T-shirt:

Since we actually met on a blind date, we couldn't agree more! We refrained from buying this piece of junk and settled for a picture. But the truth of it remains- blind dates ARE more fun! (shout out to steph and anth for setting us up).

And that was Copenhagen, our new favorite european city.

Wedding Pictures Sneak Peak

As customary for any wedding photographer, before the gallery is posted on the internet we get to see a sneak peak of our pictures on her blog.

Thank you Sheena Jibson!

Check them out!

Thank you Haley!

Check them out!

Straßenreise!

So when Rach and I found out we had a longer weekend than expected last week we rented a car and hit the road to see the country we're living in for two months! We started in Hannover, worked our way down to Rothenburg, Fussen, and ended in Munich. It was such a blast, so enjoy the photo's and stories!

Day 1

Before we came over Rachael said, "Matt, why don't we rent a BMW and drive down to Munich so you can visit them too." Well, after I composed myself I thanked her and knew, like never before, that we was indeed the woman for me. So we rented a car, put in our request for a Bimmer, and got this beautiful C200 CDI made by Mercedes! It took me a while to laugh too...

At any rate the car was beautiful and was more than gracious when I pushed it to 210 km/hr (130 mph) on the Autobahn.

German engineering.

We arrived in Rothenburg, which is along the Romantische Straße, a drive throughout central and southern Germany comprised of towns preserving the tastes and history of the Romantic Era. We didn't do the entire drive, but we highly recommend Rothenburg. Our guide was this charming (and quite attractive) brunette that spoke English with almost no accent at all. Although she got most of her material from a Rick Steves' book, the self-guided walking tour we took was the perfect stroll through this great town. Now that I think about it, this guide looked, acted, and even sounded exactly like Rachael...hmmm.

So, as Rachael and I walked around we couldn't help but think, "Wow, Disney sure did a great job on this place." It really looked so perfect and well preserved that it seemed fake. We strolled, ate pastries, had a nice Italian (early) dinner, strolled some more, explored paths and streets off of the walking trail, then ended the night in a Pub on a dark back road. Our guide had read that on Wednesdays this pub had an English speaking group night. They would apparently meet at a big table in the back and chat it up and drink beer. Well, we thought we could at least add to conversation, so we went on our way. After showing up and not hearing any English coming from the back we decided to leave. Then we turned around, went back in, and got a table for two just for the experience of a little German pub and meal. Well, as it turns out we sad right next to the English table... It consisted of a lot of dull, sporadic, and all male conversation. Nothing inappropriate, just boring. We loved our table for two, and even got artistic.

Our guide in from of the Town Square.

Stairway in town hall.

Said pastries.

One of Walt's towers.

View from the city wall gardens.

In another time...

Art at the pub. Gross, huh?

DAY 2

After a perfect breakfast in the back nook of our place in Rothenburg we hit the road and headed for the castles. Just outside Fussen, set on the slope of the Bavarian Alps lie the palaces of Maximilian and Ludwig. Schloss Schwangau was this beautiful yellow building, pictured below from our hotel room window. After a long story the old castle was bought by Maximilian and turned into what you see now. It was a beautiful building inside and out with may original artifacts from the 17th century. We then ventured on a tour of the grand palace commissioned by Ludwig. Neuschwanstein was incredible inside and out. Unfortunatley there are no pictures allowed within either castle. But it was magnificent! The attention to detail and complete creativity were amazing. So rich, colorful, and spectacular. It's worth seeing.

After the tours we hit the road for Austria. Knowing that it was just a few minutes up the road we wanted to say we had set foot in Austria. It turns out that the first town, Ruette, purposely restricted property and business ownership for people who did not plan on being year round residents. With tourist hotspots so close, they didn't want to fall prey to the seasonal life of many of the other cities on the German side of the mountains. What this meant for us was no real good photo opp or extremely "Austrian" experience. So in the pictures below we have compiled the proof of our visit. Exhibit A) The tag the German gas station before the border insisted we needed to drive into Austria. I didn't, nor do I still, believe this was necessary. I hope she enjoys her cut of the 7 Euro I paid. Exhibit B) The quick shot of the border sign through the car window as we crossed. Exhibit C) The text that came to my mobile welcoming me to the country, and informing me on how to spend a lot of money on calls there. And Exhibit D) The only sign we saw that said Austria in German. What seems to be a local beer distributor or something... Say what you will, WE WERE IN AUSTRIA... For about 10 minutes. It was great.

After our Austrian excursion we wandered the main plaza in Fussen and settled in for a hearty Germany meal. Rachael had the rack of ribs, and I the half chicken. We both had the side baked potatoe, which came with as much sour cream as it did potatoe. The meal was huge and awesome. We left content and very full!

Schloss Schwangau

View of the Alpinsee from Schwangau.

View of Neuschwanstein from Schwangau.

Disney...again?

That darn sun was in the trickiest spot for a decent picture.

Rachael's battle stick from the hike. She really got in touch with her "outsidey" side.

The sticker.

Quick shot.

The text.

The picture.

Beautiful shot of the river and alps in Ruette, Austria.

Our (BIG) meal in Fussen.

Day 3

Now for the real palace!

This was the dream come true of a recent owner and new addict. We drove strait from the Romantic road, via the Autobahn, to the home of the Ultimate Driving Machine.

After attempting unsuccessfully to get spots for a plant tour online, we made it a point to see what was doable there in person. After talking to a couple different information hosts, one was able to give us the hint of coming back 10 minutes before the one and only English tour left later that day. So, we took his advice. In the meantime we, per Rachael's request, drove across the highway over the to Munich olympic stadium parking lot for the weekend swap meet. Although little was purchased, we both agreed that this is the best place to get a feel for the people of a city... To see the junk they acquire, then try to sell. It was really fun.

We then headed back to BMW Welt and took a tour of their new, incredible building, with hosts many cars on display, interactive media describing new technologies, and the meeting point for new owners and their new cars. Someday I will be one of those lucky luck folks. Afterward we crossed the street to the BMW Museum and really enjoyed the walk through the history, design, and experience of BMW. We each had our favorite rooms and cars. That led us up to the moment of truth...were we going to get in to a plant tour!? Good news...4 people didn't pick up their tickets and we got dibs on two! We were so lucky... The plant was amazing. Incredibly clean, automated, and professional. Aside from seeing my favorite 3er's in production, I loved the fact that my quant and operations classes actually became relevant during the tour! It was cool to see my education and my favorite cars come together... Enough of that though. Let's talk about vanity and materialism. I want a BMW, I want it soon, and I want it to be really really nice. So, in a nutshell, this trip was the best and worst thing for my future BMW aspirations. It completely solidified the dream, yet raised its cost significantly. Cue Wayne and the "Oh yes, it will be mine" quote...

For dinner we took a recommendation to visit the Hofbraeuhaus for dinner and a "Bavarian" beer garden experience. So, if you aren't already... Picture the nice little Mormon newlyweds on their way to a beer garden. Yeah, it's a little funny. We lucked out though... As we entered the mass chaos I was able to hear an American accent and confirmed that the chaos was organized. You would just wander and seat yourself, then enjoy beer and the evening with whoever was around! Well, the owner of that American accent, Kathy from Madision, WI, invited us to join them and they scooted down. She was there with her son and his friend from high school who was an exchanged student from Germany, both now in their mid-20's. Further down the table was Oscar, a very large, very drunk, and very spilled on Germany man who wouldn't let Kathy alone. There was also a nice middle-age couple from Germany. We really enjoyed the company, swapped stories, and got a great little German lesson. As the night progressed and my soda ran low, the American kid, after one of many many Prost's (toasts, cheers) started to pour his beer into my mug. Well, needless to say is aim was impaired and I wore most of it... As Rachael gauged my reaction I decided, "You know, I either dry out here, or on the drive home, so what the heck." So, if there wasn't going to be any beer IN me...then maybe a little on me isn't so bad... From there a new set of folks joined our little crew. A group who spoke little to no English, but very charming and a lot fun. We learned a few German drinking songs and just enjoyed the company. Before we left, one of the new women (in her 60's) was able to discern that Rachael and I were a young and new couple. She then proceed, with my attention elsewhere, to tell Rachael how to keep things, well, spicy over the internet if we are ever long distance. It was really really funny... She also informed Rachael of her credentials as a woman who had been married 3 times, so she must really understand men. I hope you see the contradiction as well :)

The "4 cylinder" and the museum from Welt.

Amazing matte silver M6.

Rach and her Isletta.

Listening to different M engined rev...

The M power room.

The happy couple... Me because of the incredible day, Rachael because now she'll be the object of my affection again.

Schweinehacksen! We decided my expression is one of determination and fear.

Day 4

This was our day of Munich. We loved the sights, the culture, and the people. It was a really fun day around Munich just sightseeing and enjoying the local markets and architecture. Enjoy the pics! And yes, we did make sure we at least got a picture in some native garb... You'll have to ask Rachael about her dress. She looooooved it! I tried to convince her that the outfits could be that thing that in like 15-20 years Mom and Dad (Rach and Matt) pull out on holidays and that our children hate. That's a good rationale for a purchase, right? Well, we opted out...they were charging a premium. But we've got the memories.

Baroque cathedral.

Rach's favorite door.

Left: The cathedral that houses the above door.

What could have been...

I then drove really really fast again on the Autobahn and loved it!

The End