My first (of many) Happy Things Friday posts from Europe.
Itās hard to believe that this time last week the kids were at school and I was madly dashing around our house (and our town) doing last-minute errands and tasks. And todayā¦ weāre heading to Vienna for a month.
After spending five nights in Munich.
Itās hard to wrap my head around!
But we are here, and weāve packed lots of adventures into a few short days. Full disclosure: as a blogger (and generally someone who likes to overdocument everything), I already feel woefully behind. But today is all about Happy Things, so letās get to it.
UNEVENTFUL JOURNEY
Of all the words I could hope to use to describe our relocation process, uneventful is perhaps the best possible option. There were zero flight delays, no one got sick, and our luggage arrived in one piece and fully accounted for.
WE WON THE LOTTERY
Literally.
We donāt actually play the official lottery, but a fundraiser for Indyās soccer club involves selling tickets for weekly draws. Each player has $50 worth of tickets to sell. You can take them around to friends and neighbours, or you can buy them yourself and just put your own name in the pot. We opted for the latter.
Not only did we win one of the draws, we won the final draw ā which was $400. So a $350 profit. Yes, please!
I was shocked!! And delighted <3
HIGHLIGHTS IN MUNICH
Can I admit to feeling a little overwhelmed by all our pictures already? This isnāt a complaintājust an observation that there has been so much to see. And we have a shared photo album, so between my photos, Johnās, and now Belleās (since she has her own phone)ā¦ eeks. Itās a lot.
But there are so many incredible pictures, and I am just in awe of some of the beautiful (and powerfulāwe visited the Dachau Concentration Camp) things weāve been able to see.
HOT SHOWERS (AND SHOWER CAPS)
At the end of each day it has felt incredible to take a long, hot shower. I packed a shower cap so I donāt have to think about wet hair.
BONUS HAPPY THINGS
- Kids taking pictures. Both kids have been so enthusiastic about capturing photos (Belle has an iPhone, and Indy is quite content with an ancient Android phone with no cell capabilities).
- Grocery store food. Such a great way to save money along the way.
- Munichās āhonour systemā for public transit. Somehow I did not come across this little nugget ahead of our trip: you buy your ticket and thenā¦ it never gets scanned. They do random checks (apparently in plain clothes), and there is a hefty fine for anyone caught without a valid ticket ābut the ease of transport is extraordinary. You justā¦ walk on and off all forms of public transit without scrutiny. Apparently this is part of a legacy from the 1972 Olympics. They developed more subway infrastructure for the event and, to avoid bottlenecks, opted not to install ticket scanners. 10/10 LOVE this (and apparently they estimate almost 97% compliance).
- One really great sleep. Having everyone in a single (thankfully large) hotel room is not conducive to the most restful sleep, but I had one night with almost 12 hours of sleep and it was glorious. The other nights have been significantly less successful.
- On that note, our hotel configuration is amazing. Thereās a little nook for Belle, which has been great. Weāre staying on the outskirts of Munich (though the town core is easily accessible by public transit) because the price literally could not be beat (ā¬332.10 for five nightsāweād pay more than this back in Canada for sure). But the room surprised me. The configuration is excellent, the beds are comfortable, and being able to separate the kids has come in clutch (there have beenā¦ a lot of squabbles).
- My raincoat! Less than a week in and I have zero regrets about my purchase. Itās warm, itās waterproof, and I think I will wear it daily for the majority of our trip.
- Free, clean public bathrooms. What a delight to find these along the way. One of Johnās colleagues in Munich sent us some intel on the best public washrooms (a woman after my own heart), and weāve gone to one place four times (Ludwig Beck department store, in Marienplatz, FYI). But the coolest bathrooms, by far, are the ones at the Mercedes-Benz cafe in Odeonsplatz.
- This picture. Belle and Indy had a hoot taking pictures on 0.5 (at least they were happy and giggling and not fighting for a change), and this one of me makes me laugh so hard. My sister, Belle, and a whole bunch of nieces have a group text chain, and I was laughing over it until I criedā¦ so I couldnāt resist doing a little side-by-side comparison! Anyone else see the family resemblance?
- Blog friend suggestions. I get so many good ideas from readers! For example, I read a comment from Fiona and, a few hours later, was randomly walking by Julius Brantner and stopped short and told John we had to try something from their bakery. I canāt take action on every suggestion, but I sincerely appreciate each and every one and get so many ideas.
I have what feels like a never-ending post to write, but it is time to head off for the day.
Happy weekending friends.
Your turn.
- Tell me some Happy Things from your world this week!
- What’s your favourite food item to try on a trip?
Discover more from The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist
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Your pictures are gorgeous!
In a funny way it made very happy to see that you got to try the bakery I recommended. But how was it? Do tell please whether it lives up to the hype or the company just has a sizable marketing budget.
It was amazing. We just happened to be passing by so it was a spontaneous stop; we bought 2 pretzels and everyone agreed they were incredible!
Oh, and there was a line of locals out the doorā¦ always a good sign.
Thanks again for the rec. I had it in the back of my mind to check it out after reading your comment, so it was fortuitous we passed it by chance!
I love the vibe of this post, upbeat, happy, sunny! love all the happy things, especially the lottery!
I like to try local coffees without expectation. I love how they decorate it or not, and the taste.
I only had ONE coffee all week and perhaps what Iām most excited about in Vienna is getting settled into our apartment and starting a morning coffee habit!!
How wonderful that your trip was smooth and you’re having a great time! So much happy! And hot showers to boot!
Happy things: oldest son came for a brief visit, high schooler got a summer job, and my baby turned 12. He wanted homemade ice cream for his birthday, so we made four types over three days. Mint chip turned out best ( not that I tried it) .
Safe travels today! Remember to put down the camera and just enjoy sometimes!
Ohhhh, homemade mint chip ice cream. Sign me up!!
One of the delightful things about having two great photographers in the family, I donāt have to take a ton of pictures! Some of the ones I posted were by Belle or John. They actually have better phone cameras than I do, so itās a real treat to see what they capture when Iām settled admiring a particularly lovely landmark!
Sounds like a splendid first week!!!
My happy thing – Iām holding a sweet sleepy newborn. š
OH MY GOODNESS! The baby is here!! Maria, what wonderful news. Enjoy this special time and Iām wishing you many hours of peaceful sleep as you recover from delivery and adjust.
Iād love to see some pics if you get a chance to send some my way š
What a great first week and wonderful photos! I just knew that raincoat was going to be perfect for you!
I don’t buy many clothing items new, so there’s an extra layer of pressure when I do (entirely self-applied, obviously). So it’s a relief to have used and enjoyed it!
Hooray! So glad to hear that things are going well. And glad you’re liking the raincoat! Are you happy with everything else you packed? Is there anything you wish you had brought but didn’t? Maybe it’s too early to answer those questions.
i love all the photos, and I CANNOT WAIT to hear all about Vienna. There’s so much to see and do there, and it’s a beautiful city.
My happy things this week- wedding planning has started in earnest! I’ve been emailing back and forth with the mother of the bride, and we’re talking about schedules, dresses, flowers… all the things!!! I’m getting excited. Second happy thing- my daughter has started her spring break. Yay for sleeping in a little!
So far, I think I selected fairly wisely, but it is a bit too early to tell.
We are in Vienna and headed out shortly for our second full day here.
What exciting news about the wedding (on my anniversary, no less). Can’t wait to hear all about it
I love how this already reads like the opening chapter of a very long adventure.
What a great place you got in Munich for ā¬332 for five nights!! That is elite frugal travel. Nice job also on getting the public transportation figured out!
Winning the lottery right before leaving also feels like the universe funding all the “Brezel” at Brantner’s!
Yes, that $400 will go QUICKLY!
The LRT in Calgary is very similar to that – you buy tickets, but they only get checked randomly. My in-laws, back when they actually used to visit us in Calgary, used to love riding the LRT. They didn’t realize that you had to buy tickets, and they got checked. Fortunately the officer realized that they were just a couple of confused people from out of town and let them off with a warning.
Munich looks lovely! Travel is kind of mind-bending, isn’t it. Like, one day you’re at home and the next day you’re in an entirely different country.
Travel is the weirdest time and cultural vortex!
Those are some very wonderful happy things!! All of your planning is paying off!
We had some gorgeous weather earlier this week- sunny, light breeze, low humidity, 75Ā° F, it was sooo nice. The kids roller bladed and ran around and dug in the dirt. That was a very happy day.
We saw two rainbows from our house on Wednesday, which was so beautiful and just awe-inspiring. Reminders of Godās promises.
Iām happy that itās Friday. My sister and her boyfriend are coming to babysit our kids tomorrow so that my husband and I can go out, so I am looking forward to that!
I hope the date night was fun. That weather sounds PERFECT.
Oh, more of your (family’s) wonderful photos! I am so looking forward to traveling with you. That pretzel looks amazing!
My happiest thing today is that I have survived the time change week. It’s exhausting!
I HATE time changes. It’s still to come here in Europe. Sigh…
What a wonderful, joyful post Elisabeth. Happy things, indeed š
Oh what a fabulous first week! š And that pretzel looks delicious. Best trip food … man … we stopped at a little hole in the wall last summer, and got the best burger of my life. The gingercakes at Colonial Williamsburg were also superb. And we’ve had so many delicious wood-fired pizzas (we try to find one every time we take a trip). Oh! The shrimp I got outside of Williamsburg! Best fried shrimp ever! And huge! You could taste the freshness.
Hole-in-the-wall places are almost always the best!
I love this post, such lovely pictures and so much fun! Nice find on the inexpensive hotel. We also share a room when we travel, though with an only (adult) child thereās no squabbling. Or not much. But it can get cramped and none of us sleep wonderfully. I bought some earplugs recently that have been a game changer for me, especially since it is allergy season here and my husband is snoring a lot. (Iām sure I am too, but I donāt hear myself snore – I bought him some earplugs too, but he hasnāt tried them yet.)
Thinking about your trip, I donāt think Iāve ever been to any of the cities you will be visiting, so I am very much looking forward to traveling along with you. Your mention of coffee in Vienna reminded me of these fancy (seemed fancy) instant coffees from the 70s and 80s, āInternational Coffeesā, they had one called Cafe Vienna. I never drank any of them (too expensive, and I donāt drink coffee) but boy, they looked FANCY!
Oh, and a Happy Thing from my week is that one of the cats at the rescue where I volunteer was adopted! Elisabeth, she was with us for 5 MONTHS and I suspect had low level depression. I am enjoying imagining her coming out of her shell and falling in love with the person/people who adopted her, and her just living her BEST LIFE. This has given me a lot of joy this week, actually.
Also, your lottery win + the inexpensive hotelā¦like, that prize money probably paid for the majority of your first weekās accommodations!
This is SUCH happy news. Poor thing, and it makes it all the happier that she is now in love with people who love her.
Vienna’s as a coffee center has actually been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. (They like it STRONG!)
It looks like a wonderful trip so far! I still haven’t been to Munich; I’ll add it to my destinations list. I’m glad you had an uneventful week!
My happy things:
1. I went to a lovely event in a library where you could take a book to the old reading room and relax with classical music in the background.
2. Spring is starting to arrive and I really appreciate the rise in temperature and burst of flowers everywhere!
3. My friend at work paid me a sweet compliment and told me I’m very kind, composed and collected. She also thanked me for bringing Gilmore Girls into her life haha!
4. Someone else at work said they admire how much I put myself out there š
5. I’m going home for Easter soon.
Reading in a dedicated reading room while classical music plays in the background sounds INCREDIBLE.
What great compliments; they mean so much <3
It was! Gah, I just noticed that I wrote ‘uneventful week’ when I meant to write ‘uneventful journey’!
I didn’t even notice. It was, for the most part, an uneventful week at least in terms of major challenges! (Thankfully.)
An uneventful journey is good and well done on your lottery win!
Fantastic photos!
I love it all! So exciting!! I’m just thrilled for you that everything is going so wonderfully so far!! I can’t wait to hear more and all about Vienna, too. That whole region is super high on my list of places to go (Vienna, Prague, etc.) so I’m dying to know more and get all your tips for when I go eventually! š
I’m excited to really “get to know” Vienna. We’re taking a walking tour today which will really help with context.
Iām so glad your trip is off to such a great start! That rate for your hotel is incredible. I love all the pictures. And how fun to all have the ability to take pics – although I can see why you are overwhelmed with photos!
My week was pretty uneventful which is a good thing. The high was having lunch with my former coworker, Paul. We are anticipating a big snowstorm this weekend with possibly over a foot of snow so I am glad the past week was pretty uneventful since we will have some potentially eventful days ahead.
Ugh. I hope you don’t get nearly as much snow as anticipated. I always hate March storms. I’m always “over” winter and ready for spring to start.
I could’ve sworn I commented here when I read it over the weekend. Eek, if I don’t comment right away – I get confused. That honor system is crazy, but what a brilliant idea.
My happy things are that Rae is home this week on her spring break and she’s helping with the babies. Also, we took Kay to check out the potential home school set up with the woman who might teach her next year and it went well.
The honour system is SO great; it makes everything extra efficient and as a traveller is a dream.
Yay for having help with the daycare babies. I hope the homeschool situation ends up being a good working fit for Kay <3
Uneventful is the best travel description ever! I’m so happy things are going swimmingly and you’re having a good time. Too many good photos is a great problem to have.
I love the idea of Honor System mass transit!
Yes, a good problem indeed. I just have to find things to complain about š
The Honour System is SOOOOOOOO amazing.