There is so much to see and do in Bavaria, and since we may be running out of time here, we’ve started working on our Bavarian bucket list, which includes the Kehlsteinhaus, more commonly known to English speakers as the Eagle’s Nest.
In case you haven’t heard of it, Kehlsteinhaus (aka, the house built on top of the Kehlstein mountain) was commissioned as a 50th birthday present to Hitler, with the intention of using it as a place to relax and host dignitaries. It’s obvious why this location was chosen. The views are stunning.
Ironically, Hitler rarely visited the Eagle’s Nest since he was afraid of heights and rarefied air. In fact, it’s estimated he was only there between 14 and 17 times. As such, the structure was deemed of secondary importance and wasn’t destroyed, like most other primary Nazi-specific structures from WWII in Germany. The building officially opened to the public as a tourist spot/restaurant in 1952.
Visiting the Eagle’s Nest isn’t as straightforward as driving up to it. In fact, you’re not allowed to drive up the mountain at all; you have to take their bus. So, the trip requires a bit of planning. Shuttle buses run up and down the mountain every ~15 min throughout the day, but you’ll need a ticket for a specific time. The tickets can be purchased online, or you can buy them when you arrive. However, space on the buses is limited, and they do scan your ticket as you get on. So, I would recommend purchasing tickets online to make sure you get your preferred time. Otherwise, you may be waiting hours for the next available bus.
The ride up was quite beautiful, as was the view from the drop-off location.
View from the shuttle bus drop-off location
Alternatively, you can hike up from the main parking lots to the drop-off location (or vice versa). Round-trip, the hike is ~15 km (~9 miles), which would mean the trip is free, since the Eagle’s Nest is technically free to visit (you’re paying for transportation). You could also hike up and buy a one-way bus ticket back.
Either way, bus or hike, you’ll end up at the entrance to a tunnel that takes you to the famous brass elevator for the final 124 m (~405 ft) ascent straight into the Kehlsteinhaus. You could also hike the final bit up to the Eagle’s Nest, if you don’t care about the elevator (or opt to see it on the way down).
The tunnel entrance.
In the brass elevator.
Tip: Either 1) be the first off the bus and head straight for the elevator or 2) take your time and enjoy the view for a bit after you get off the bus. Otherwise, you’ll be waiting in an elevator queue in a semi-dark and chilly tunnel.
Now that you’re at the top, just enjoy the views! 😍
As I mentioned, the Eagle’s Nest is now a restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating. We had about 2.5 hours before we needed to catch our return bus (also at a specific time, booked online). So, we had a leisurely chaotic lunch and walked around the top. Naturally, our littlest hiker, who is generally chill, decided a casual lunch wasn’t in the cards for us that day. 😆 He was, at least, happy as long as we kept moving. 🤦♀️
Papa on walking duty.
There’s not much to the inside of the Eagle’s Nest. The views are stunning, of course, but the house itself isn’t ornately designed. However, two things stuck out to us: the sun terrace and the fireplace. The sun terrace on the back side of the house is now a small history museum, but one thing that struck us was a photo of Hitler sitting on a lounge chair in the sun terrace. You could easily put yourself in the exact spot where the photo was taken, and the rarity of that was striking. Second was the fireplace, which is quite famous as it was a gift from Mussolini and is still generally intact. (Some pieces are missing as soldiers took “souvenirs” when the war ended.) Both stood out as tangible pieces of history, similar to the beaches of Normandy.
The Mussolini fireplace
The area isn’t huge, so 2–2.5 hours was plenty of time to eat and explore, after which we started our reverse journey to the parking lots and, eventually, back to Munich.
Practical Info
How to get there: The easiest and most practical way is by car. Otherwise, it’s a series of buses and trains, doubling your travel time. If a car isn’t an option, I’d recommend looking into a tour company.
Distance from Munich: ~2.5 hours by car. Alternatively, if you’re visiting Salzburg, the trip is only 50 min by car.
Cost: The bus is €34.70 round-trip per adult (kids under 6 are free; reduced fees for kids 6–14).
Time: I’d recommend 2–2.5 hours for a leisurely visit with time to eat.
Tip: Bring cash! Luckily, we had some, but it caught us off guard. You can expect typical Bavarian food and drinks at the restaurant.
Rating: 🧡 If there’s time. Munich and the surrounding area have a lot to offer, and this is certainly one of the longer day trips. So, if you have time or you’re interested in a different piece of WWII history, then I’d recommend it. Otherwise, there are equally beautiful yet shorter day trips into the Bavarian Alps.
We have no big summer plans other than riding out Europe’s heat waves at the river or the local pool, and hopefully, a hike sooner than later. So, until our next adventure…
Since this very well may be our last summer in Munich, depending on Shane’s grant, I’ve been thinking about my “Bavarian Bucket List.” If we have to leave, then I want to feel like we’ve really made the most out of Munich and the surrounding areas before we do. I think we’ve done a pretty good job so far, but there are a few lingering spots. One of which was Linderhof Palace, which landed on my radar after we visited Neuschwanstein Castle last year.
The common denominator between these two castles?
King Ludwig II.
By the time Ludwig II’s reign from 1864 to 1866, the Bavarian kings had no political power. Consequently, Ludwig, known for being eccentric, had plenty of time to live in his own fantasy world, all of which was reflected in his palaces. He was also never married and always lived alone. So, anything of key interest to him was incorporated into his palaces. For example, Linderhof Palace was full of statues and other references to French kings, who held absolute power.
Linderhof Palace is the smallest of the three and the only one to be fully completed. We were both honestly surprised at how small it was. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s still large. But, if you think “palace,” I’d argue the size of Linderhof is not what comes to mind.
Nonetheless, it was nice to visit. You can only see the inside of the place on a guided tour (similar to Neuschwanstein), which lasts about 25 minutes. However, you’re free to wander around the grounds as you wish, which are quite large with other small structures to see. We were on a bit of a limited timeline with Nolen, so we didn’t venture too much. But you could easily spend a couple of hours walking around.
We did, however, visit the Venus Grotto. It can also only be visited on a tour (~15 min) and requires a separate ticket. We initially debated whether we wanted to visit the grotto since it required buying another ticket (annoying). But, hard rule: always buy the extra ticket! For two reasons: 1) You’re already there. Will you ever come back? Probably not. Just do it; and 2) The extra thing is always cool!
The Venus Grotto, completed in 1877, was the largest artificial dripstone cave in the 19th century, and it’s genuinely impressive. Even more impressive is that, even though it just underwent a massive renovation, more than 50% is original. Ludwig built the grotto for his own personal use, even installing electric lights and wood-fired boilers to heat the lake so he could swim.
Inside the Venus Grotto.
The only downfall to visiting the grotto is the walk up the hill, which probably wouldn’t have been so bad if you weren’t pushing a sleeping baby in a stroller. 😆
Workout of the day.
Practical Info
How to get there: The easiest and most practical way is by car. Otherwise, it’s a train to a bus, which nearly doubles your travel time. If a car isn’t an option, I’d recommend looking into a tour company. Often, you can visit Neuschwanstein and Linderhof in one long day trip.
Distance from Munich: ~1 hour and 20 min by car.
Cost: €18 for the combination Palace + Venus Grotto ticket.
Time: The tours are short, ~25 min and 15 min for the palace and grotto, respectively. So, depending on the timing, you could easily make this a half-day trip. But why rush!
Tip: As of June 2026, the on-site hotel and restaurant are closed for renovations (which we didn’t know). There is another smaller cafe, but the options are more limited (cards are accepted). So, plan accordingly.
Rating: 🧡 If there’s time
Overall, Shane ranked Linderhof Palace in his top 5 castles, and I’d agree. It was nice to see an “understated” palace. 🤪 Although, if your time in the area is limited, I’d still pick Neuschwanstein over Linderhof.
Guess we need to see how Schloss Herrenchiemsee affects the ranking. Two down, one to go!
I guess that title is a little on the nose, since, of course, we went with a baby. We did consider leaving him home for the weekend; I mean, he is a big 7-month-old baby now. But, since he still can’t manage to prepare his own bottles or change his own diaper, we decided it was a bit too early.
Anyway.
We went to Vienna!
Originally, we planned to go to Vienna for the marathon. Shane ran the Füssen marathon in July 2025, liked it, and was ready to keep up the challenge! My one stipulation to him running more marathons was that he needed to pick races in places we’ve never been. If he was going to commandeer our Saturday mornings with training, then I should at least get a city trip out of it, right? So, he picked Vienna because we’ve never been and because it was quite a large race, ~45,000 runners across all events; the opposite experience of Füssen’s ~800 participants.
Unfortunately, Shane ended up with an injury and decided not to run the marathon. But the car and Airbnb were already booked, so we decided to go regardless. And I’m so glad we did. Not only is Vienna a cool city, but it was a real confidence boost in terms of travel with Nolen.
Slight side note, we decided to drive to Vienna since Shane originally planned to run the marathon. Between the running/recovery gear and Nolen’s things, the train felt unmanageable. So, we took this opportunity not only to drive, but to rent an electric car for the first time.
I think a big hesitation about EVs, at least for us, was the long-distance range and how long you would need to stop and charge. And I had literally zero clue as to how expensive (or not) it would be to charge. Sure, I can read that it’s X cents per kWh, but what does that actually MEANNN, ya know? Given that we would need to stop for Nolen anyway (that darn baby wants to eat!), what better time to test it out?!
Long story short, I’d certainly rent an EV again. We maaayy have been spoiled (ok, we were absolutely spoiled) because they gave us an 2025 Audi Q6 e-tron. So, I’d venture to guess that the luxury vehicle biased our opinion. Regardless, the experience was positive. Charging stations were everywhere, and fast charging from ~20% to 80% only took ~20 minutes.
As for cost, the price per kWh depended on where you were and how fast you charge. For example, fast-charging off the highway (generally at a gas station) was 0.49 cents/kWh, whereas in the city (in both Munich and Vienna) it was 0.79 cents/kWh. But, all the charging stations had an associated app, so if you downloaded the app and made an account (which we didn’t bother to do), you automatically got cheaper rates. In total, we needed 4 charges (a halfway stop and a charge when we arrived at the destination) and paid ~€135 (~$160). The internet tells me that gas costs in a comparable vehicle (Audi Q5) would be between €115-150. So, we didn’t pay considerably less than we would have with a gas car, but we were emission-free! All in all, we had a positive experience.
Our chauffeur.
Now, back to Vienna!
The plus side to Shane not running the marathon is that we got to see more of the city than we would have otherwise. So, what did we do first? A walking tour, of course!
Nolen did surprisingly well. We weren’t sure how he would do in terms of noisiness. We’re in the babbling/raspberry blowing stage and didn’t want him to impede others from hearing what was going on, but he did great! I think having other people to look at and moving from place to place kept him entertained enough.
We also changed our tourism strategy. Pre-kid Shane and Whitney would be out the door first thing in the morning and come back sometime after dinner. Obviously, that’s a long day for a 7-month-old. So, we slowed things down, which worked really well. We went out after his first (long) morning nap at ~10-10:30 and stayed out until ~5:30 pm, which gave us plenty of time to play tourist and Nolen some decompression/roll around time before bed. And honestly, it saved money too, since we planned for 2 meals in the Airbnb.
Lunch out looks a little different now.
Despite our abbreviated day, we still managed to see the city center highlights (e.g., St. Stephen’s Cathedral), go to a museum (Nolen’s first natural history museum!), and see one of the many palaces (Schönbrunn Palace), including it’s associated zoo (the oldest in Europe)!
St. Stephen’s Cathedral
What a strange fountain.
Nolen’s first natural history museum!
He was really into it…
Art History Museum
Schönbrunn Palace
We also saw the State Hall of the Austrian National Library, which was super cool! Nolen thought so, too. He blew ALL the raspberries and gave little screams of happiness, which just echoed in this quiet, open space. Luckily, people thought it was funny; nonetheless, we didn’t linger. 🤪
Overall, it was a really good trip. A few people asked what my favorite part of Vienna was, and honestly, I think my favorite part was the confidence boost that we CAN still travel and do the things we enjoy with a baby in tow. Of course, no two trips will ever be the same since he will be a whole new person by the time we take our next one. Nonetheless, we started off on a positive note! And the idea of showing him new places in the future is an exciting one.
Schönbrunn Palace
Our next big trip isn’t until September, for our 10-year wedding anniversary and Nolen’s first birthday! So, until then, we will be soaking in summertime in Munich. Shane’s contract ends in August, and he has lots of holiday time to use. Plus, it’s biergarten season! So, we’ve made it a goal take advantage of what’s nearby.
So, until the next one!
Biergarten season will also look a little different this year. 😳
Hard to believe, but we have a six-month old baby!
Really though, where has six months gone? And with it the days of rocking him to sleep, contact naps, and squeaks while nursing. However, we’re currently in our sleeping 10–11 hours per night (*knocks on wood*) and roly poly all over the house era and entering our “gaga” and solid food (!!) era!
(Yes, Nolen would get those references; I started his Taylor training at 3 weeks old!)
Under the couch seemed like a good place to explore.
Now that we’re a half-year into this whole baby thing, I wanted to address a recurring question we got while I was pregnant.
“Are you coming back to the US to have the baby?”
It goes without saying, but the answer to that was no.
For me, a big hesitation about having kids was the cost of raising them. The US is notoriously expensive in terms of healthcare and daycare costs. For me, the potential financial stress of having a child outweighed my desire. But things are different in Europe, and learning about the social support system for families in Germany considerably eased my worries.
So, what’s it like here?
Pregnancy & Delivery Costs
Hold on to your hats, folks. You can have a baby FOR FREE in Germany. Yep, you read that right.
Health insurance is mandatory in Germany. So, yes; you are indeed paying for health insurance, which is ~7% of your salary and taken out of your paycheck directly, like a tax. (Technically, it’s ~14% of your salary, but your employer pays half.) So, I don’t count insurance costs as a direct pregnancy-related expense, since you’d have to pay it regardless.
All standard pregnancy care is completely covered by insurance, without deductibles or co-pays (if you’re from the US, you know what I’m talking about). That covers your monthly (and eventually bi-weekly) visits to the Frauenartz (OBGYN), three ultrasounds, the basic genetic testing, and the necessary lab work. If any additional tests are needed, they are also covered by insurance provided that they are prescribed by your doctor.
Insurance also covers prenatal courses, like childbirth preparation and breastfeeding classes (both of which I took).
As for the hospital bills, also zero if you opt for the standard room after birth, which is shared with one other person (the delivery and immediate recovery rooms are private). Any procedures or medications are also completely covered by insurance, including my epidural and c-section. I also went to the hospital for monitoring (CTG exam + ultrasound) every other day from the due date until the induction 10 days later, none of which we paid for out of pocket.
The delivery room.
Now, of course, you can opt for “upgrades.” For example, we chose to pay an additional €110 to have an ultrasound at each visit to the Frauenartz and €250 for a first-trimester 3D ultrasound + genetic screening (but our 2nd trimester 3D ultrasound was covered by insurance since our Frauenartz said she had poor visibility in some areas).
First trimester 3D ultrasound; the thumb-sucking continues at 6 months. 😆
We also opted for the private, family room at our hospital, which was an additional cost but included a bed and three meals per day for Shane.
Plenty of room for visitors in the family room.
It’s also important to note that legally, in non-emergency situations, you must be told the cost of anything not covered by insurance before you receive the care. So, never were we blindsided by a bill; we were presented with the information (and subsequently signed an agreement form) before I underwent any of it.
Outside of these upgrades, our only costs were my prenatal vitamins and supplements. So how much did we pay ourselves during pregnancy and delivery? Lucky for you I’m a big ‘ole nerd and tracked our costs! 😜 Any cost listed was an opt-in test or supplement.
40+0, 40+2, 40+4, 40+6, 41+1, and 41+3 weeks (6 visits)
0
Supplements
Prenatal vitamins (12 months)
66
Progesterone
6
Magnesium
11
Aspirin (for preeclampsia risk)
20
Glucose powder (expanded diabetes test)
7
Tests and Procedures
Toxoplasmosis/CMV/thyroid screening
77
Toxoplasmosis repeat test
26
NIPT (trisomy 13, 18, 21) testing
0
Additional ultrasounds (all appointments)
110
First trimester 3D ultrasound
250
First trimester preeclampsia risk test
33
Second trimester 3D ultrasound
0
Group B Streptococcus test
33
Courses
Breastfeeding
0
Birth preparation for couples*
27
Hospital Delivery**
Induction medications
0
Epidural
0
C-section
0
Private family room (3 nights)
804
Other
Prenatal accupuncture (4 visits)
80
Postpartum midwife home visits (5 visits)
0
Nolen health insurance***
0
Total costs
1551
* Insurance completely covers a childbirth preparation class for the mother, but only partially covers it for the partner; our insurance covered €100 for Shane.
** Other tests and medications were administered at the hospital, but I can’t tell you what they were. 😆 These are the obvious ones.
*** You read that right. Nolen is covered on Shane’s health insurance for free since he’s a dependent.
Parental Leave: Mutterschutz & Elternzeit
In Germany, there are two types of parental leave: Mutterschutz (mother protection, or maternity leave) and Elternzeit (parent time, or parental leave).
Mutterschutz is (obviously) for the mother. It begins 6 weeks before the due date and last until 8 weeks after the birth (or 12 weeks, in cases of twins or premature babies). This period is mandatory, so even if you didn’t want to take that much time before and after, you’re legally not allowed to work. I’m not sure why you would want to opt out though, because the employer pays the mother’s full salary during this period.
Elterzeit paired with Elterngeld (parental leave money), compliments the Mutterschutz. Elterngeld, paid by the government, gives you 65% of your salary per month (capped at €1800/month). Elternzeit and Elterngeld can be split between both parents for up to two years. However, the system is set up so that the family financially benefits the most by one caregiver taking a year of leave, while the other takes two months. (I will admit, it’s a bit complicated.)
So, what does that look like for us?
It means that I haven’t worked since mid-July, when I went on my mandatory (fully paid) maternity leave. When this ended at the beginning of November, I switched to Elternzeit + Elterngeld (65% of my salary), which will continue until October 2026. Shane took two months of parental leave (+ parental money). Practically speaking, this means that I’m able to be home with Nolen for over a year with some income and have a job to go back to when it’s over. For Shane, this meant that he could be home for Nolen’s first month and travel to the US for six weeks to visit family without using all his vacation time or going two months without any income.
Although all countries in the EU provide some sort of parental leave, not all have a system that allows caregivers so much time at home. I’m essentially being paid to take care of Nolen during his first year. Now that I really understand how fast babies change, I feel incredibly fortunate that we landed in Germany during this period of our lives.
Kindergeld
Now, this is the one that really surprised me. All parents in Germany receive €259 (as of 2026) per month per child as a child benefit (Kindergeld), paid by the federal government and aimed to offset the cost of raising a child. And, this payment continues until they turn 18. Furthermore, families who meet a certain low income threshold qualify for a supplementary child benefit payment (currently €297).
So, technically, Nolen is bringing in a salary! 🤪
Another question we get a lot is “Are you having another one?” For now, we’re enjoying (and still figuring out) life with one. 🤪
We are, however, hoping to add some countries to Nolen’s list this year. So stay tuned!
Let’s start with expectation #1: Sitting down to write this post.
Expectation: I’ll do it.
Reality: We’re six weeks into life with Nolen, and this is my first attempt.
And perhaps ironically, my baby, who’s been napping for a glorious 2 hours already, has just started rustling around. Guess we will see how far I get today. 😜
(Update: Nolen is now nearly 9 weeks old, and I’ve just finished writing. 🤷♀️)
But, yes. Nolen joined our family on 8 September 2025, and for my own posterity, I wanted to write about my experience with pregnancy and the first few weeks postpartum because my reality was nothing like my expectations. Let me explain.
Nolen Lee, approximately 45 minutes old.
I’ve always been on the fence about having kids. Honestly, if Shane was someone who didn’t want them, I would have been ok. I love the life we’ve built, and it was hard to imagine changing that. But, after Ecuador, we knew it was time to have “the talk,” given we were about as stable as we were going to be location and job wise and that we were approaching 40.
My one stipulation? Oktoberfest. I wanted one proper, all-in, no-responsibilities Oktoberfest while we lived in Munich before our lives changed. So, we Oktoberfested, and then decided to see where life takes us. Which brings me to expectation #2.
Expectation: This could take a while.
Reality: Two months.
And I feel very fortunate. I really expected it to take a while since I had been on birth control since I was 16, and we were starting this adventure at 39. There were potentially a lot of factors working against us. I also didn’t expect how TTC (trying to conceive, as “they” say) lived in the back of my mind rent-free. Once we made the decision, I felt the timeline pressure—are we in or out of “the window” each month? When can I take a test? Shane didn’t experience this; I guess that’s the benefit of not being the primary responsible party in this situation. The whole experience gave me a much better appreciation for those couples who go through these ups and downs for longer periods.
And, given that we were purposefully trying to have a baby, I certainly didn’t expect us both to be shocked when it actually worked. 😆
Expectation: I’ll hate being pregnant.
Reality: It’s not so bad.
I attribute this solely to the fact that I was able to be myself throughout my pregnancy. I was fortunate enough to experience no morning sickness, no fatigue, no food aversions, and no major pains. I kept working out until I was 40 weeks pregnant (although I did have to give up running around 20 weeks). I really didn’t need to “give up” much in terms of foods besides the occasional alcoholic drink (which I really didn’t miss until beer garden season) and sprouts on my salad. Oh, and sprudelwasser (sparkling water)—that one really hurt. However, since I needed more calories, I incorporated daily peanut butter snacks (my favorite food) and weekly schneckes (the German cinnamon roll; it means “snail,” which I love). So, I really couldn’t complain about food.
Moreover, I expected to feel hormonal swings, but I felt mentally myself. I expected to worry about gaining weight, but I found it to be fun looking at the data week to week and matching it with baby bump progress pictures. I expected to be weirded out by the fact that a human was growing inside of me, but instead I was amazed by what was happening. I guess you see the pattern?
Now, what I did not expect was having to pee all the time in the first trimester (thought that was a third-trimester thing!), how early on and how often I could feel baby movements (I was barely showing), or feeling simultaneously stretched to the brim, like I ate way too much food, yet simultaneously hungry.
28 weeks
40 weeks (due date!)
And don’t get me wrong. There were some parts I didn’t enjoy. Like the sporadic pelvic pain (which is why I stopped running), the inability to use my abs to get on and off the couch or in bed, and how uncomfortable sleeping was by the end (I swear, I get more quality sleep with a newborn than I did those last few weeks of pregnancy). And these not-so-fun parts bring me to my next expectation.
Expectation: To have moments of panic!
Reality: It didn’t happen.
I kept waiting for that “wtf have we done” moment during pregnancy, but it just never came. Shane and I are type A, need a routine, plan for everything kinda people. But for some reason, when it came to pregnancy and the upcoming arrival of the baby, we were both able to just let that go and accept that we had no idea what to expect. “It is what it is” was our running motto. I think that’s why those panic moments never happened. We could plan for the fact that we would have no plan! 🤦♀️😆
In my opinion, this is also partly attributed to the fact that we’ve now moved to three countries—the Netherlands, Germany, and Ecuador—without ever having visited or vetted our new home. Each time we arrived with no expectations. Ok, we had some expectations in the Netherlands, our first move outside of the US, but you learn how to manage them and integrate into this new way of life. I think pregnancy and baby were just another “move”; we arrived with no expectations and were willing to simply try and integrate the best we could.
I really only had one moment of panic: Going into labor on a 30 °C (~86 °F) day in a hospital with no air conditioning (you read that correctly; there’s no AC in German hospitals), which was a real possibility at the end of the summer. 😆
36 weeks pregnant.
Expectation: I have no clue what labor and delivery will be like.
Reality: I had no clue what labor and delivery would be like.
Hey, at least I got one thing right! 🤣
I had really hoped that Nolen would make his arrival on the due date (28 August), but logically I knew this was very unlikely. My mom arrived in Munich a week before the due date, and then my dad, sister, and in-laws were arriving a week to ten days after the due date. I expected (ok, hoped, really) that Nolen would arrive on time, so I would feel more up to doing touristy things with everyone. I was very wrong. I mean, I still wanted to do touristy things, but Nolen didn’t make his appearance until 11 days past my due date.
I can’t speak for all of Germany, but at the hospitals in Munich, induction is not considered until 10 days after the due date. The reason being that it’s not unreasonable to think the due date could have been miscalculated by a week or so, but there are risks the longer you wait. So, 10 days past the due date is what they consider the sweet spot for induction.
What I did not expect was the “is today the day?!” roller coaster of emotions that started around 37 weeks, which is considered full term here. I felt like every day I woke up thinking, “ok, maybe today!” and, subsequently, I found myself feeling very impatient and overanalyzing everything my body was doing. But 37 + 0 days was not the day, nor was 40 + 0 or 40 + 2, 4, 6, 8, or 9, which are all the days we went to the hospital for a check. On the plus side, by the time 40 + 10 days came around (i.e., the day they would induce), we were both so ready to get things going that we weren’t nervous. It was just excitement to finally start this next chapter!
Another positive to induction is that I was able to walk to the hospital, which is something I had hoped to be able to do. The hospital where Nolen was born is only a ~15-minute walk through the park from our house. So, on the morning of the induction, we had a nice final walk as a family of two, and three days later, Shane walked Nolen home (I went in a taxi).
Regarding the labor and delivery, as I said, I was induced at 41 + 3 days. They started the induction around 8:30 am, but things didn’t start picking up until about 12 hours later, culminating in a contraction storm with relatively short but very intense contractions with essentially no break in between. So, they gave me a medication to slow the pace of the contractions, and then I was able to have an epidural. I reached 10 cm dilated ~1.5 hours after the epidural, but the contractions weren’t strong enough to push, so they administered oxytocin, which encouraged the contractions enough that I could try “practice” pushes. However, the midwife and eventually the doctors found that his head was slightly stuck behind my pelvis, so pushing wasn’t going to work. They recommended a c-section, which I agreed to, and within (no joke) ~15 minutes after making that decision, they started the procedure.
I thought I might be a bit disappointed we had to switch at the last minute, but honestly, I wasn’t. It ended with a healthy baby who was apparently more stuck than they realized from the pelvic exam. So, it was the right choice! And the doctors and midwives at our hospital were excellent and very calming.
Now, on to postpartum! Let’s start with the obvious. Sleep.
Expectation: I’ll be miserably tired.
Reality: It wasn’t so bad.
If I’m being honest, I’ve slept better during this newborn phase than I did during the last 6-ish weeks of pregnancy. My sleep duration may have decreased, but the sleep quality drastically increased. By the end, I was just so uncomfortable sleeping. I’ll take short, quality sleep over long, uncomfortable sleep any day.
Of course, during those first few weeks, there were days of being incredibly tired, especially in the hospital, where nurses and doctors are always coming in and out. And, being new parents of a boy, we hadn’t quite figured out how to aim the anatomy in such a way to avoid leaky diapers (“wiener down, ruffles out!” became my diaper changing chant). So, there was one night in the hospital when he peed through all the blankets we had for him. This was one of the more exhausting nights for Shane, since I couldn’t do anything but sit in bed after the c-section. Shane had all the other responsibilities—diaper change, bring the baby to me to feed, settle him for sleep, and repeat.
On the job training.
However, once we were home, we settled into a nice routine. And, to our surprise, we had to wake him up every 3 hours during the night for a feed. After about 2 weeks, we started with a midnight bottle, so Shane could bottle feed and give me a break. Since he was gaining weight, we decided to stop waking him up overnight at 4 weeks, and we were completely shocked when he actually slept 4–5 hours overnight. So, perhaps he is our baby after all; sleep is a high priority for him, too. 🤪
A snoozy baby on our first full day home.
Expectation: Breastfeeding won’t work, and it’s super weird.
Reality: It worked, and it’s not weird!
For years, a running dialogue between my sister and me versus my mom has been how we could not comprehend how breastfeeding could be anything other than weird. I mean, it’s a tiny human sucking on your boob. It’s weird.
“It’s not weird, girls! It’s NATURAL!” — said Mom.
Spoiler alert. Mom was right.
Nonetheless, going into this experience, I had mentally prepared for breastfeeding not to work or to not have sufficient supply, given that so many women have some sort of trouble feeding (or, at least that’s what you hear). I even bought formula and bottles before he was born just to take the pressure off. I had decided that I’ll give it an honest try, but if it doesn’t work, I’m not going to stress over it; there is nothing wrong with formula feeding.
Surprisingly, I didn’t have to go that route. He latched immediately in the hospital without any issues. He was even one of those babies that came out of the womb fish-mouthing, looking for food (takes after me, I guess). After that happened, I don’t think I had a second thought regarding concerns for breastfeeding. I just kind of knew it was going to work, and I was going to enjoy it. And, at least two months in, the overall experience doesn’t feel burdensome, which I absolutely expected to feel given that I am his sole source of food.
Breastfeeding Nolen on his first outing (Waldheim biergarten at 7 days old!)
Now, some things I didn’t expect.
Cluster feeding: We heard about it. I knew it was a possibility, but I don’t think I comprehended that ALL babies cluster feed, particularly in the evening. So, in those early weeks when my body was still adjusting, feeding him every hour in the evening felt like “daammnnn baby!” But, with everything, once you know what to expect, you adapt, and the overwhelming feeling dissipated.
So. Much. Milk!: Yes, I realize this is a great thing and a fortunate problem to have, but I still didn’t expect it. I certainly didn’t expect to be dripping boobie milk all over the floor, leaking through my bra, or drowning little Nolen. Luckily, my Sis was around to show me how to use the breast pump.
The day I realized I should wear boobie pads in public.
Relatedly, boobie size 😳: Another one of those things you hear about, but can’t comprehend until it happens. In fact, the day I went home from the hospital, the midwife told me to go home, put on my dirndl (the traditional Bavarian dress known for featuring the tatas), and take some pictures. 😆 How your boobs change with milk production is wild, and engorgement is a feeling you can’t understand until it happens. I’ve always proudly been a member of the Itty Bitty Titty Club, so I certainly never expected to need to wear a bra all the time. It will be interesting to see how things change when I eventually stop breastfeeding.
Expectation: I don’t need a postpartum midwife.
Reality: It was nice to have her.
In Germany, 12 at-home visits by midwives are covered by insurance during the first three months. Honestly, we weren’t really sure why we needed this, but since it was covered by insurance, and our doctor said, “Find a midwife,” we found a midwife, and it was a great resource to have in those early days.
Her first visit was the day after we came home from the hospital. She checked both me (my c-section wound and overall healing) and Nolen (which is how we knew he was gaining weight so well). She also checked in with me about breastfeeding, answered any lingering questions (yes, hiccups all the time is normal), and explained how in the hell you give a vitamin D TABLET to a baby (yes, here in Germany it’s provided in tablet form 🤦♀️). She was definitely a valuable resource in those first few weeks.
Relatedly.
Expectation: We can do it ourselves
Reality: We can do it ourselves, but it was nice not to have to.
For the first time since we’ve lived abroad, both families visited at the same time for Nolen’s birth. My mom arrived a week before the due date (like I said, we were hoping for an on-time baby!). Dad, Sis, and Cleo arrived a week after the due date (…still no baby), and Shane’s parents, brother, and oldest niece arrived about 2 weeks after the due date, when Nolen was 2 days old. In a way, Nolen’s late arrival was nice because everyone was able to meet brand-new Nolen and visit us in the hospital.
The Wrights
Like I mentioned, Shane and I fully expected to go on this new-baby adventure on our own. We’ve lived away from our family for so long now that our default attitude is one of full independence. So, when everyone said they were coming to Munich for us and the baby, we didn’t quite comprehend that they were coming to Munich for us and the baby! In my mind, our families are coming to visit, so my trip planning/touristy brain started turning, and I literally kept forgetting they were coming because of a baby—OUR baby—they didn’t care about the touristy stuff.
The Crossons
We had no idea how much we needed their love and support, of course, all the time, but especially in those early few weeks at home. They brought us supplies in the hospital, cooked and cleaned, bought us baby clothes and fuzzy blankets (apparently we were severely lacking), helped with Nolen’s first bath, and snuggled the baby. Perhaps most importantly, everyone provided so much reassurance that we were on the right track; we were doing great!
The time spent with everyone here was invaluable, and we can’t thank them enough for prioritizing us.
The whole family crew!
Expectation: I don’t want to be a stay-at-home mom.
Reality: I’m enjoying my time at home with Nolen.
The required maternity leave period (yes, required by law!) ends 8 weeks after birth, so I could go back to work now if I wanted to, and I do think I will want to eventually, but not yet. Yes, there have been days when Nolen won’t sleep, and he’s the grumpiest of all grumps, in which case he gets promptly handed off to Shane when he walks through the door. (I didn’t expect cooking dinner or cleaning the kitchen to feel like a break, but on those days it does!) But honestly, we’ve had a limited number of those kinds of days. He feels like an easy-going baby, and I actually like hanging out with him! 😆 Especially now that he’s leaving the “meatloaf” phase (as my cousin called it) and is becoming more interactive.
We’ve also started going to a mom/baby class once a week with other moms and babies of the same age (2 to 12 weeks), which I was skeptical of at first (on account of me being a judgy non-parent), but it has been really nice. The class is in English, so it attracts internationals in Munich, giving us another shared experience outside of the babies. It’s been a nice way to meet other new moms, talk through the highs and lows of this new life, and get tips on various newborn topics. Plus, it’s given me practice navigating the city just the two of us. This kid has already been on buses, trains, and subways! We’ve already signed up for the next class with the same group of moms and babies. ☺️
He’s an U-bahn ridin’ baby!
Now, I’ve transitioned from maternity leave to parental leave, which Shane and I can take for up to two years combined with supplemented income from the government. I feel very fortunate to live in a country with a system that allows me (and Shane) to have this time with Nolen.
As for the rest of life with a baby, I (we) really had no idea what to expect. Remember that show on MTV about celebrity lives, and the tagline was “You think you know, but you have no idea.” I think that perfectly sums it up.
I didn’t expect to be constantly in motion (constantly swaying!), how tight your back and shoulders get from being hunched over a baby (feeding him, just looking at him, rocking him to sleep), or to always stand on public transportation (that darn stroller!). I didn’t expect how absolutely exhausting it is when he won’t sleep (and how creative you get with “sssshhhh-ing”), but how rejuvenated I feel after HE takes an hour nap. Conversely, I didn’t expect to worry when he sleeps long stretches at night (is he still breathing?!). I never expected to be so invested in someone else’s bowel movements or just how many diapers a baby uses in a day, nor did I expect him to have a sixth sense for when I’m about to eat; of course, he needs something in that exact moment.
However, the real doozy is that I didn’t expect to forget so much so fast. Already, two months postpartum, I realize I’m forgetting the little things. The c-section pain and sleeping in the recliner for a week. The overwhelming feeling of our new life in those first quiet moments at home after the hospital. The rush to bed after he’s asleep to try and get a few hours ourselves. The absolute shock the first time I got peed on (I was soaked 😆) or how his neck smells like cheese (from milk in his neck rolls 🤢). How little he felt in our arms (they indeed do grow so fast!) and those milk drunk sleeps (they are few and far between already).
First of many pee incidents.
Milk drunk baby.
Somehow, all these things become normal, or you realize they’ve quietly outgrown it. “Everything is a phase,” they say. Several people have commented on how kids have a way of putting a hard stamp on time, making it blatantly obvious how much has passed. We’re only two months in, and it’s so true.
Re-reading this post, it feels a bit like I’ve been romanticizing this journey, but overall, my pregnancy and postpartum experiences have been a net positive. In my opinion, Nolen has been an easy-going baby, which has absolutely shaped my attitude. I’ve also been fortunate to have my Sister (with Cleo), who’s really helped me mentally prepare to become a parent and continues to be a great role model.
Our next big challenge? Travel with a newborn, which we will be doing soon for Shane’s birthday. I’ll report back. 😜
When Shane decided he wanted to run a marathon as an upcoming 40th birthday challenge, we assumed he would run the Munich marathon in October, but once we found out I was pregnant, fitting in marathon training with a newborn in late August/early September didn’t seem like a realistic option 😆. Which is how we ended up in Füssen, a small town about an hour and 20 minutes outside of Munich, better known as the jumping off point for Schloss Neuschwanstein.
Füssen old town
The Marathon!
Shane’s current desire to run a marathon has a 12-year history. See, back in 2013, we ran the Charlotte marathon. Well, we ran part of the Charlotte marathon because it didn’t go so well. One of us (cough:me:cough) ended up spending a lot of time in the porta-potties on the route because they drank too much Gatorade when they weren’t used to it. So, we ended up walking at least 6 miles, and finished in over 5 hours, which was particularly disappointing when we were on track to finish in under 4 hours at the halfway mark.
Thunder Road Marathon, 2013
Since then, Shane’s said he “completed” a marathon, but he’s always wanted some redemption. (I, on the other hand, was OK to leave the marathon experience behind me. 😂) So, he’s been running and running and running, which brings us to the end of July and the Füssen marathon!
At the starting line!
Here in Munich, we’ve had really nice weather this summer—not so much rain, warm temperatures (sometimes maybe too warm)—that was, until the week before the marathon. The temperatures dropped to ~16/17 °C (60/63 °F), the rain set in, and Shane was faced with the reality that he might be very wet after 42.195 K (26.2 mi). Which, indeed, he was. It rained nearly the entire time!
Run Shane, Run!
I was only semi-dry.
Nonetheless, he finished in 3 hours and 48 minutes!
Now, he can officially say he ran a marathon. 🤩
Marathon finisher!
35-weeks pregnant
Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles
Given our close proximity to one of the most famous castles in Germany, we decided to stay an extra day and do some sightseeing after the marathon. Luckily, the rain eased up enough that we could actually get THE famous picture.
View from the Marienbrücke
Schloss Neuschwanstein, notorious for inspiring Walt Disney and the Cinderella castle, was built by King Ludwig II, otherwise known as the “Mad King.” In modern times, Ludwig II would likely just be called eccentric, but in the ~1870s, he was considered crazy. Neuschwanstein looks medieval, but it’s not. Construction started in 1869, and the style was inspired by Ludwig’s love of medieval tales. So, he built a place where he could live in his own alternate reality. He never lived, or intended to live, in the castle with anyone else (other than his few servants, of course), using the castle for his own escapism.
Unfortunately, Schloss Neuschwanstein was never completed, as Koning Ludwig II died under mysterious circumstances after being deemed “crazy” by doctors who never even examined him. The rest of the royal family wasn’t so keen on his castle spending habits…
Anyway, as a result, you can only visit a few of the rooms in Neuschwanstein since most of them remain empty. The exterior of the castle was also never completed; construction of the chapel and several towers never even began. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth a visit, though.
The other castle visible from Neuschwanstein is Hohenschwangau. Built by Maximillian II, Ludwig II’s father, the castle was the summer residence of the Bavarian royals. Unlike Neuschwanstein, the interior is complete and can also be toured.
Hohenschwangau and the Alpsee
Views from a Neuschwanstein balcony
Logistics
So, here’s the thing. Füssen, Neuschwanstein, and Hohenschwangau are touristy places, especially during the summer (they can be visited year-round). Are they worth it? Absolutely. I put these castles in the “it’s touristy for a reason” category. Plenty of people love to discourage the castle tours since they are a bit pricey, and you can walk the grounds for free. But come on. Are you really going to go all the way there and then NOT go inside? Don’t be silly.
So how did we manage to essentially be ALONE on the Marienbrücke, where you can take that instagramable photo? Go early. We’re morning people, so this really wasn’t an issue.
You can only go inside the castles with a guided tour, and tickets will sell out. So, you should book as far in advance as possible. You can book combination tickets that include both castles and the Museum of the Bavarian Kings, which I would argue is the only way to do this.
I won’t go into all the logistics since the official ticket site provides really good suggestions on how to plan your day. However, I will say that we booked a 9:30 am slot at Neuschwanstein, which gave us plenty of time to catch the shuttle bus up, visit the Marienbrücke, and have a leisurely walk down to the castle afterward. (You can also walk up to the castle, which takes about 40 minutes, but since I was 35 weeks pregnant, we decided to shuttle up and walk down. 😆) Neuschwanstein is the more popular castle of the two, so I would recommend going there first. Especially since tour buses started rolling in around 10 am.
For the afternoon, we booked at 3:05 pm tour of Hohenschwangau. Each tour only lasts ~30-35 minutes, which left enough time in between to get lunch in the village below and visit the Museum of the Bavarian Kings, which gives a great history of the Bavarian royal family, with some time to kill. So, I would even recommend a bit earlier afternoon tour, if it’s available.
Hohenschwangau Castle
And that was our last little weekend away before baby! As of writing this, we are officially less than three weeks away from the due date and taking it easy until then.
I realized not too long ago it’s been four months since I’ve touched this blog. It’s not that there haven’t been things to write about because there have been. I realized my blog hiatus corresponds with my social media hiatus. I don’t feel like I lived on the internet. But, at some point, it still started to feel more overwhelming than satisfying, and it’s been nice to get out of the digital world and back into my actual reality.
With that in mind, I decided to refresh the blog with a little life update! So, here’s what we’ve been up to for the past few months.
Travel, travel, travel!
After my mom’s visit in December, we essentially hunkered down for January and February. New Year’s Eve was pretty low-key for us this year, and after that, it was just work and surviving the cold and dark that is January and February. But in March, we took our first trip of the 2025 season back to…
The Netherlands
It felt so nice to be back! After six years in Groningen, the Netherlands will never not feel like home. And surprisingly, I could still understand quite a bit of Dutch, which was great because we were there for our first Dutch wedding! The bride and I worked together at my first job but have stayed friends since. Two others from that job also attended, so it was nice to have a small reunion.
Mini Mucosis reunion
One benefit of the country being so small is that we were also able to pop up to Groningen for a few hours and on market day, nonetheless! We stocked up on spices, ate cheese and droge worst, and got nostalgic. It was great. After, we were off to Zwolle for another friend reunion. So, all in all, great trip!
Lucky for me, I’ve just returned from a second trip to the Netherlands, but this time for work! My colleague and I spent a week working with cuckoos in the ornithology collection at Naturalis, the biodiversity museum in Leiden. This place is incredible, and if you find yourself in the Leiden/Amsterdam area, I would highly recommend it. It was certainly a unique week of work!
Leiden, NL, city center
Naturalis museum in Leiden
London
Next up, our (sort-of) annual trip to London to visit my aunt, uncle, and cousins! London is a city that never gets old for us (I’ve raved about it here and here). This trip, we ate. A lot. English breakfast, Sunday roast, Indian food for dinner. I wasn’t sad about it.
London, 2025
We also did other things, like the Docklands Museum (we ran out of time and need to go back!), the Postal Museum and Mail Rail (an underground built specifically to transport mail! Anyone who says it’s “just for kids” is no fun), and The Play That Goes Wrong (if you’re into a silly slapstick play, this is for you!).
Oh, and we went to the Black Dog. If you know, you know. 😬
old habits die screeeeaaaming!
As always, London was a great trip made even better by the company!
USA
We also traveled to the US in April for a quick two-week trip (more on why later). Since it was so fast, we didn’t do much beyond spending time with family, but that was the whole point of the trip!
We generally like to go home for at least three weeks, since we can go so infrequently. This time, we had to keep it short because…
Shane got a grant and is currently in Colombia!
It’s kind of hard to believe, but we’ve been in Munich (well, sort of) since 2020, meaning that Shane’s nearing the end of his postdoc time. Between covid lockdowns and Ecuador, five years have really flown. But he’s looking into the next career step, and the first move was acquiring some project funding for his own work in Colombia! So, now, he’s at a research station for a couple of weeks to set up a project that will run for the next six-ish months.
The research station
The new butterfly crew!
I’m only a lot bit jealous to not be there with him, living his best life running through the forest catching butterflies. Plus, we had such a positive experience in Ecuador with the people, the culture, and the language. We’ve both been itching to get back to South America. I originally planned to go with him, at least for part of the trip. But, our plans changed a bit, which brings me to, without a doubt, our biggest news…
We’re having a baby!
Baby Wright is due at the end of August 2025!
So far, pregnancy has been nothing that I thought it would be. I’ve always been on the fence about kids, but we decided last year to give it a go and see where life takes us, and I’m happy to say that I’ve had no regrets since. I also expected the worst out of pregnancy; people love to tell you horror stories about fatigue, morning sickness, insert random ass symptom you’ve never heard of. Luckily, I’ve had none of that, and it’s been quite smooth. I think once it’s over and baby is here, I’ll write more about my overall experience, but for now, I really can’t complain.
Oh, and no. We don’t know the sex. It’s a surprise! 😀
So, if the blog is a bit quiet in the coming months, now you know why. Except for a trip to nearby Füssen in July (Shane is running a marathon!), we plan on staying put and enjoying the calm before the new-baby storm. Plus, in September, all our family will visit (we are THRILLED!), and it’s baby’s first Oktoberfest (😜🍻).
The hills were alive with the sound of mussssiiiccc!
Ok, they weren’t really in December, but that’s not the point.
Growing up, the Sound of Music was a staple in our house, so when Mom and I were deciding where we should go as a side trip from Munich, Salzburg was the obvious choice. Especially since it’s only a two-hour train ride from Munich, and you can use the Deutschland ticket (Germany’s all-inclusive travel ticket).
After arriving in the afternoon, we kicked off our time in Salzburg with a stroll from our hotel to Mirabell Palace and the famous gardens. Famous why? As a Sound of Music filming location, of course!
Unfortunately, in winter, most of the gardens are closed, so we missed some key locations. That’s OK, though. We could still see the famous Pegasus fountain and walk the same paths that Julie Andrews walked!
The Pegasus fountain
Mirabell Gardens with the Hochensalzbug Fortress behind
From there, we meandered into the Altstadt (old town) and found the Christmas market in the Domplatz and Residenzplatz. Here, you’ll find the Residenzbrunnen, the largest fountain in the city and one that’s also featured in the Sound of Music during the “I Have Confidence” song. Unfortunately, it was boarded up for the winter. ☹️
Salzburg Christmas market
Salzburger Christkindlmarkt in the Residenzplatz
We intended to start our first full day with a walking tour, but it was quite rainy. So instead, we spent the morning at Mozarts Geburtshaus, the house where Mozart was born. In case you didn’t know, Mozart was born in Salzburg and lived there with his family until he was 25, when he moved to Vienna, which is a fact that will not be lost on you if you visit. You can visit the house where he was born and lived most of his life and the apartment where his family later moved. And, if you pay attention, you’ll notice various other spots in the city where “Mozart ate lunch here” or “Mozart frequented this location.” They are very proud.
Mozart’s birthplace
The rain stopped after lunch (where I had Mozart’s favorite dish–Leberknödel mit Sauerkraut), so we decided to check out the Festung Hohensalzburg (Hohensalzburg Fortress), the one you see in the background of any Salzburg city picture. You can take a ~20-minute walk up to the fortress or a ~1-minute funicular ride, which we opted for since it was covered in our Salzburg Card (the city’s tourist pass, more on that later). At the top, you’ll find the fortress museum (history, armory, etc.), a small marionette museum, and some great views over the city.
Hohensalzburg Fortress
View over Salzburg
Sound of Music puppets at the marionette museum
We started the next day at the DomQuartier, just off the Residenceplatz, which includes entry to the Alte Residenz (the Old Residence) and the Salzburger Dom (cathedral). This complex is huge; you can easily spend an entire morning here, which we did. Definitely get the free audioguide to understand the purpose of the various state rooms. Eventually, the general tour leads you from the residence to the cathedral. We even accidentally timed it correctly and caught the daily organ concert at noon!
A stateroom in the Residence
Inside the Salzburg Cathedral
We finally fit in our obligatory walking tour in the afternoon. I say obligatory because a walking tour is the best way to learn a little bit of any city’s history and give context to the sites you’ve likely walked past (or will walk past) a thousand times. Salzburg’s old town is quite small, so our walking tour with Free Walking Tours Salzburg only lasted an hour and a half, which left plenty of time for some random bits and bobs on our last afternoon.
For instance, Café-Konditorei Fürst, the home of the original Salzburger Mozartkugel, a “marzipan and pistachio core wrapped in nougat dipped in dark chocolate.” Be prepared to pay €2 per chocolate-dipped ball and the store to be a complete zoo, but they were tasty and worth the splurge. They also make a great gift! Beware, you’ll see other red and silver-wrapped Mozartkugels if you’re traveling in Bavaria and Austria, but the original Salzburger ones are in blue and silver foil. These you can only find in Salzburg!
One of three Café-Konditorei Fürst shops in Salzburg
While we’re on the subject of sweet treats, you should also try the Salzburger Nockerl, which is meringue served on top of a warm raspberry compote. Typically, the meringue “mountains” come in threes, representing the three mountains around Salzburg. Three felt like a bit much for two people, but we found a single-mountain option at the Wirtshaus Elefant in the old town.
One peak of the Salzburger Nockerl
Finally, we stumbled on a shop called Christmas in Salzburg (address: Judengasse 11), which was the most amazingly spectacular thing I’ve ever seen. It’s an entire store dedicated to hand-painted and decorated eggs. Sounds bizarre, but it’s incredible. Despite the name, the eggs are primarily painted for Christmas and Easter, but you’ll also find various other themes. If you’re looking for a unique souvenir, this is your spot. Even if painted eggs aren’t your thing, the shop is worth visiting just to look. Pictures aren’t allowed inside, but the shop window gives a good impression.
The Christmas in Salzburg window display (the Easter side)
Practical Info
Salzburg is a super easy side trip from Munich, with direct trains leaving roughly once per hour. And, as I mentioned, the route is covered by the Deutschlandticket or Bayern Ticket if you’re coming from or going to Munich. (These tickets are valid for one stop past the German border.)
Once you’re in Salzburg, I recommend the Salzburg Card, which is their city tourist card. They offer 24-, 48-, or 72-hour versions that can be purchased online or at various points in the city (tourist information centers or your hotel, for example). We did the 72-hour card for €41 (€46 in the high season), which gave us access to all the city buses and museums we visited (walking tour excluded). And, since we had bus access, we stayed in a hotel near the Hauptbahnhof (main train station), which had easy access to the old town at lower rates; hotels in the old town can get quite expensive, even in the low season.
And that sums up our short trip to Salzburg! I’m excited to visit again when the weather is warmer to see the city in a different light and visit some of the nearby outdoor attractions.
The Shwits 