I Miss Walking in Bavaria

As the saying goes, "There is no place like home!" and I believed in it. Philippines is always my homeland but I found my second home in Germany. I miss walking in my second home after I found out that we are also having a very nice weather in Bavaria, Germany today. One of my friends in facebook told me that they have 20 degrees Celsius temperature. I feel like flying back home soon!

Here are some images during one of those sunny winter days in Bavaria, Germany!

taken last January 2012..what a lovely sunny winter day it was!

I love the surroundings with all the nature around in my second home in Bavaria!

Driving To Prague

I was invited by friends to go with them to Prague, Czech Republic last summer 2011. I did not hesitate to say yes to them because I also want to see the city for the second time. It is around three to four hours drive from where we live in Bavaria, Germany. I can't remember if my friend's husband installed an suv bike rack on their suv's roof. They have a big 8-seater Honda car which is perfect when many persons are travelling.

Since it was already my second visit to Prague, I showed them some of the sights in this city which are accessible by feet. I hope that my friend's mother-in-law had a great time during her Europe vacation. She lives in the United States of America and had some weeks holiday in Europe last summer 2011.

That road trip to Prague is not that stressful anyway since the roads and highways are in good condition. It was a great trip so far.

Day Trip to Herend, Hungary

Have you heard about Herend porcelain? Herend is actually a small town near the city of Vestprem in Hungary. It is a historical town dating back to the Roman times. We had a day trip there last summer 2011 during our 5-days trip to Hungary. It is famous for its Herend Porcelain, one of the world's largest ceramic factories, specializing in luxury hand painted and gilded porcelain. It is enough for us to only go sightseeing and window shopping because the porcelain there are really expensive. We only bought ceramic souvenirs in the area but not really in Herend.

The famous Herend porcelain in Hungary during our trip last August 2011.

The Porcelain Museum of Herend. It has been opened to visitors since 1964 and was chosen as the museum of the year 2002 in Hungary.

Presents for Baby Christening

There are just a lot of births in our area last year. Three of my friends gave birth. One was already christened last December 2011 but we were not there because we were in a trip to Spain. One is already planning for baby christening. This is also the reason why I am looking for a baby gift basket from GiftBaskets.com. I found nice stuffs there which are perfect as presents for baptism. I will buy some once I will be backed home next month. I guess the parents planned to have the baptism sometimes in May this year. I am quite excited about it. Looking for baby presents? There are a lot online and sometimes you are lucky to find cheap ones. Have fun shopping!

Cruising in Danube River in Hungary

I always love to turn back time when I travel. Through the travel images I took everytime I go for a trip, it always reminds me of the places I visited. During our trip to Hungary last summer 2011, we had a cruise in Danube River in Hungary. One of the interesting places we passed-by was Esztegom.

It is a city in northern Hungary, 46 km north-west of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom county, on the right bank of the river Danube, which forms the border with Slovakia there.

That cruise trip was quite a relaxing one while watching the nature around and the places we passed-by.

Esztergom Hungary. The opposite side of the bridge is already the border to Slovakia. I love the cruise we had there last August 2011.

Interesting Places to Visit in Bavaria

Bavaria is the largest and also the most beautiful state of Germany. It is also the most visited and the most popular tourist destination in this country.

If you are visiting Bavaria, here are some of the interesting places I recommend you to visit.

Munich- Your visit to Bavaria is not complete at all without visiting its beautiful capital city. Munich is the third largest city of Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg. There are a lot to see and to experience in this charming city including its fine culture, beautiful architecture and interesting museums. If you have the chance make a perfect timing to visit the world's most famous and biggest festival, the annual Oktoberfest beer celebration.

Don't miss to visit its famous sights such as the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), the Marienplatz (Mary's Square), Nymphenburg Palace, BMW Headquarters, Maximilianeum, the Residenz, Olympiapark and many more. If you have the chance, make some sidetrips to Linderhof Palace and the famous Neuschwanstein Castle of King Ludwig II of Bavaria in Hohenschwangau.

Bamberg- This is also an interesting city to visit in Bavaria. It is located in Upper Franconia on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main. Its historic city center is included in the list of the UNESCO world heritage sites.

The historic Old Town Hall in Bamberg, Bavaria, Germany. Taken during my third visit last January 2012

Walking around the city is the best thing for you to do when seeing its sights. The Cathedral, Neue Residenz, Klein-Venedig or Little Venice, Alte Hofhaltung, Old Town Hall and the Michaelsberg Abbey are onyl some of the sights not to miss when visiting Bamberg. For those who love beer, try the Rauchbier or the Smoked beer which is unique to Bamberg.

Würzburg- It is a beautiful, historic, and lively city that is often overlooked by foreign visitors. This city is famous for its Residence which is listed in the UNESCO cultural world heritage site. It is regarded as one of the finest palaces in Europe with its Baroque architecture. It is also called as the "University City" and the "City of Many Churches". Würzburg is also home to one of the oldest churches in Germany, built in the 8th century on top of a former pagan shrine. Other famous sights include the Old Main Bridge, the Fortress Marienberg, Marienkapelle (Mary's Chapel), the Julius Spital and the Haus zum Falken.

A statue on the Old Main Bridge in Würzburg. You can see the Fortress Marienberg at the background.

Regensburg- Its old city has been listed in the UNESCO World Heritage site since 2006. It is considered to be one of the oldest towns of Germany. Its main sights include the Dom or the Cathedral, the Roman remains Porta Praetoria, the Stone Bridge, The Church of St. James, Abbey church of St. Emmeram, the Town Hall, the Goldener Turm (golden tower) and the botanical garden located on the University of Regensburg campus. You can also make a sidetrip to the Walhalla, the Parthenon of Bavaria located in Donaustauf some kilometers away from Regensburg.

My friend from England, with the Old Stone Bridge in Regensburg as her background.

If you are planning to make a holiday in Germany, be sure to plan your trip ahead to save time and money. You can browse the internet for cheap hotels and discount Flights to Germany. There are three international airports in Bavaria; Munich International Airport, Nuremberg and Memmingen. Ryanair, one of the low-cost airlines in Europe lands in Memmingen airport. You can always find cheap flights with Ryanair in any Europe destination. Be sure to book your flights ahead to avail of discount prices.

Other recommended places of interest in Bavaria include Rothenburg od der Tauber, Nuremberg, Straubing, Bayreuth, Augsburg, Erlangen, Berchtesgaden, Passau, Chiemsee, the Bavarian Forest and many other more.

Finally in Madrid Again

Thanks God for my safe trip to Madrid, Spain. I just arrived last Sunday afternoon. My friend met me at Barajas International airport. It was a sunny Sunday. This is one thing I love in Spain, its friendly weather even on winter time. When I left Germany, it was raining on our way to the airport, the opposite weather here in Spain.

After putting my baggage in my friend's house, we just made a quick relax and headed to the main city center in Sol. There we go a bit walking and met other friends. During the night we strolled the streets of Madrid and passed at Plaza de Cibeles.

Here is an image taken in the famous square of Madrid last Sunday night.

The Plaza de Cibeles at night.

The Plaza de Cibeles is a square with a neo-classical complex of marble sculptures with fountains that has become an iconic symbol for the city of Madrid.