Paradise in the Alps - Benediktenhof

Sometimes, I research and plan and book a trip and things just do not turn out how I imagined. And occasionally I don't put any effort into planning and end up finding the perfect place. This was one of those times.

We needed a place to stay overnight for a wedding that was taking place near Wackersberg, so I searched various hotel and apartment portals and everything seemed to be booked - finally I found a place that had openings, the Benediktenhof, only 3 km away from the wedding - it was a bit more expensive than I had planned on spending but it looked really special, so we went for it.

Special doesn't even begin to describe the Benediktenhof. This place is downright magical.

A rustic alpine style "Landhof" located less than an hour's drive south of Munich, the Benediktenhof is perfect for a weekend away, although I am already contemplating renting the chalet (it has its own fireplace!) for a week next summer.

The rooms hit that magical sweet spot between rustic charming and comfortably modern. The breakfast and cafe area is absolutely oozing with charm and character and little details await you everywhere - pull out coolers with a beautiful selection of chilled self serve drinks, a tea nook with snacks and cake. And the garden. The garden! Sprawling but somehow also cozy.

Chock full of small decorations and beautiful plantings, wooden structures and arches - but somehow, not at all kitchy. Somehow miraculously concealing all the amenities, that pop up like treasures you discovered yourself as you walk through - a heated outdoor whirlpool, a natural swimming pond nestled among reeds and lily pads, a wooden green tunnel leading to a play area with a trampoline, swing, play hut, sandbox and slide, and, because why not, alpacas grazing on the hillsides.

There is even more, like the sauna and the infrared cabin and the exercise room and the gazillion wooden loungers with cushions and the little huts scattered about just inviting you to nestle in with a book and a cool beer and stare at the mountains. And did I mention the outdoor hut (although hut is definitely not the right word - it's called a "saletti") which is half open and has cushy chairs and a fireplace and lanterns everywhere and is the perfect place to wile away the evening?

Also down the road is a charming and cozy Wirtshaus, which, because of course, had a Bavarian band playing and lederhosen festooned children prancing around the playground. Did I also mention that the hotel is right next door to the Arzbach Freibad, a lovingly maintained 1934 era swimming pool with a kids area, sun lounge and little section of the Arzbach creek cordoned off for splashing and wading?

Also can I talk about the breakfast for a minute? I didn't even take any pictures because we were too busy nomming but wow. Everything was amazing. Best quality fresh breads, butter, eggs, local hams and honey from the property, an incredible fresh fruit and vegetable selection, hot drinks all served in silver pots and the finest china. On sunday they had an open bottle of prosecco in the cooler next to the orange juice.

Never have I stayed somewhere that so simultaneously seemed adult and sophisticated, which made me want to immediately stay for weeks and relax and book a massage and other fancy things, but which was also so wonderfully suited for families with kids. All the amenities were there, with none of the ickyness that usually accompanies hotels that cater to kids - no icky sticky plastic high chairs, no ugly broken sand toys. no garish cartoon characters painted on the wall (believe me, I am usually so grateful for any of the above, but it was SO great to see it can be done differently and well). Instead, a high quality amazingly bouncy trampolines. Rabbits to feed grass to. Alpacas to hike with. A fast blue slide with a mountain view and an adorable wooden play hut like a miniature chalet. The magical natural swimming pond.

We will be back, Benediktenhof, yes we will!

It's not just in my head...

I have a confession to make: I compose blog posts in my head. All the time. Because, let's be honest, it's all I feel I have time to do. Somehow having TWO kids instead of one has sapped seemingly every last minute of my free time. I know that's an exaggeration and I'm sure I could somehow squeeze in more of what I want to do but I cannot seem to manage it right now and so I'm left with imagining doing things.

Somehow, my daily life seems more, er, blogworthy (for lack of a better word) when I imagine my meals in photo collages, my outfits laid out on a white background, describing in an expert tone my daily routine for getting ready in the morning with a 1 year old nagging me (making it sound like I actually do that, er, daily). I imagined post after post, filled with glorious images and hilarious accounts of our messy but actually quite fun life. But as for many things in life, thinking is not the same as doing and so, it seemed it was time to actually write something. And as for so many things in life, things sounded easier and better in my head, but on I forge.

One thing I actually did (rather than just think about) was to dust off our good (as in DSLR) camera and take some better photos. So get ready for a blast of photos from our recent adventures... NOW.

We went camping! The ground was hard and the night was long but really, what night isn't these days? It was hilariously fun and adventurous. Also, the beach at Starnberger See was really spectacular. 

See?

We spent an evening at the Isar, having an amazing picnic and then the sun set and then I took this shot. Wow, Munich, just wow. 

We celebrated our 5th anniversary in Buchenberg and Charlie played mini golf. 

Are you still reading? While writing this post I realized that each of these adventures should have their own post and there are more and also why the heck can't I access my google photos from GOOGLE'S OWN blogger and all kinds of other things. So I nearly deleted this whole post but really, I finally blogged again so I am just going to hit publish and continue on. I hope we will see more of each other, soon!

What I'm loving lately...

This amazing Sesame Chocolate

Baby wearing - especially with my new Mei Tei! (and I also got this HopType - I can't wait to try it out)

Listening to Startup, Reply All and Invisibilia in the shower each morning

Watching Nurse Jackie (how did I miss this show years ago?) (also, how hilarious is Zoe?)

Drinking more water thanks to this awesome Sigg Water Bottle

Playing with Magnatiles (seriously the best toy EVER)

Making all kinds of delicious coffee with my Aeropress and the Aeropress Timer App

Finally finishing up this memory book for Charlie

Testing recipes from the newest HEALTHY slow cooker cookbook from the Test Kitchen

Hello, again

Oh hi again, by the way. In case you didn't notice, I have started to post again! I brainstormed starting a new blog, but this is really my happy place, and I already have a small readership, so why reinvent the wheel?

I plan to post lots of Munich and Expat tips, especially geared towards families with kids.

Oh and one more thing - did you know you can rent our apartment for a Munich vacation? Click over to Airbnb to check it out.

Looking forward to being more present here in the future!

Emily

Review of the Fräulein Hübsch Baby Carrier (mei tai)

I'm that person who has a ridiculous number of baby carriers - but what can I say, I love trying different ones and when you have kids, you do what you can to combine your hobbies and your kids into one, because time for both there is not. Recently I asked for the Fräulein Hübsch toddler size mei tai for Christmas - and we are loving it. It has padded shoulder straps and is a half buckle which means that it has a clip at the waist and ties at the shoulders. The clip around the waist makes it easy to put on quickly and the ties at the shoulders give it a large degree of customizability and a really cozy fit.

I also love that they are handmade in Vienna, so right next door, and there so many fabric choices for the head support for when the baby is sleeping or doesn't have head control yet.

Many parts can be customized, for example the width of the under leg portion can be made smaller or larger with a Velcro system. The head support can also be made tighter or looser and both width and length. A smaller baby can use the shorter back piece then you can flip the whole system over for a tall toddler. This is done by reversing the direction of the buckle clasp.

So far we have only tried out the front carry but the back carry can also be done when there is a strap included to make this more comfortable.

I can highly recommend this type of career for someone who is intimidated by a long wrap that they have to tie in different ways. This is a nice introductory piece to baby wearing.

On our upcoming trip to Vienna I plan on visiting the Fräulein Hübsch shop in person!

A great swimming pool in Munich for families

The other day it was bitter cold outside and snowing and we decided that it would be great time to head to the swimming pool for the first swim with our 7 month old.

We do love our neighborhood pool, südbad, but we decided it would be interesting to try something new this time.
A quick S-Bahn ride and cold walk later we were standing at the entryway of the Pullacher Freizeitbad.

The pool area was lovely and heated to a very warm temperature which was great with a baby. There a waist deep pool, a lap pool and an outdoor heated pool that was open even in the frigid cold. There was also a lovely whirlpool which many babies were using because it wasn't too hot.

We spent the afternoon getting acquainted with the water and we had a wonderful time. After the exciting swimming experience Luke fell sound asleep on a chaise and I could eat a delicious Currywurst at the neighboring restaurant.

So if you're looking for a new place to go swimming with or without your kids I can highly recommend the Pullacher Freizeitbad.

Happy swimming!

The Easiest Vacation Ever

Last night, we stayed at a hotel. We took a bus with our suitcase, checked in, and flopped onto the bed. Our entire trip took 25 minutes - we live 7 bus stations away!

As a little valentine's day surprise I booked a night at the Holiday Inn Munich South. It was fantastic! We swam in the pool, gorged at the breakfast buffet, and slept like sardines all in one bed. What a fun easy way to "get away" without really having to go much of anywhere! We rode the bus back home in our PJs.

I can highly recommend this hotel for a fun night "away" in Munich - the staff was wonderful, the breakfast was delicious, the pool was warm and newly renovated - and the bar staff made us some excellent cocktails to take up to the room. Check hotel.com for good deals!