Saturday, September 20, 2014

München

When planning this trip, we decided that we would travel around the country of France by car...stopping along the way in interesting villages and traveling the "less touristy" route.  Me, being the overly eager packer that I am, also loved the idea of having a traveling closet to transport the multiple seasons of clothes I would need.  After a great experience Tee had buying his first car from BMW in Germany through the European Delivery program, we decided that we would do this again.  After all, we just moved from NYC to Nashville and would need to buy new cars anyway.  Why not buy one in Europe and have it shipped back after we use it for two months in France!?  Joking aside, it is a pretty sweet deal that goes something like this...BMW rep picks you up from the airport in a 5 series (highlighting the horsepower capabilities along the way) and drives you to BMW Welt or World - tour the state of the art factory and watch how a BMW car is made from start to finish – break for lunch in the VIP lounge – sign a little paperwork while sipping on a drink of your choice (inclusive of a range of German beers, because why wouldn’t you have some alcohol before hopping onto the Autobahn) – get your personalized key ring made with the inscription of your choice – be escorted by your vehicle introduction technician down to the showroom floor where your car is awaiting you on a rotating platform – take a quick picture next to your new car with the professional photographer – have a one on one tutorial on all features in your car - receive your picture in a BMW Welt frame plus a digital copy on a BMW Welt zip drive – take your victory lap on the indoor track, and finally get released onto the busy streets of Munich.  And so goes our first day in Europe.  
~taking in the wonders of BMW Welt~ 

~tee being introduced to his (and my) new car on the rotating platform~

We did find time to walk the city in the evening (after a nap of course) and have dinner at the lovely Garden restaurant inside the Bayerischer Hof Hotel (thanks for the recommendation Mom & Dad!).  As our first dinner in Europe, we were more than pleased to start off with such a delicious meal.  No "meat and potatoes" here, just quality seasonal ingredients prepared beautifully.  

We also squeezed in a Mike’s Bike Tour of the city the next morning, and it was well worth it.  This is a great tour and includes plenty of history, comedic relief, a beer garden lunch stop, and a beautiful bike route through the city. 


~bike tour stop...nice to get a picture of the two of us!~

~day 2 of trip...tee having trouble disconnecting from the rest of the world~

Additional notes & links for Munich:
Kochspielhaus - great local spot we found for breakfast, try the musli - http://www.kochspielhaus.de

Schrannenhalle - beautiful indoor food market, very modern - http://www.schrannenhalle.de

Mike's Bike Tours - http://www.mikesbiketours.com/munich/

Garden Restaurant at Bayerischer Hof Hotel - http://www.bayerischerhof.de/en/hotel/index.php


Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Bienvenue en France


Bonjour mes amis!  We have decided to start this blog for two reasons...one is to keep our friends and family up to date on our whereabouts and findings, two is for us to have a travel diary to look back on and read later in life.  We will include our travel itinerary, some noteworthy stories, and of course our favorite selection of food, wine, hotel, and activity photographs.  This journey was first inspired by Tee's love of France after a trip here with his grandparents, Bookie and Ike Isenhour.  Bookie had a passion for travel and art, but above all, a passion to share it with her family.  Tee frequently refers to his time in France with his grandparents and even returned for a graduate school semester abroad in Paris.  The stars began to align when Tee was offered the amazing opportunity to take a ten week sabbatical from work and I was about to finish culinary school.  We thought what better way to spend two months than a tour of France.  Tee could show me all of his favorite spots that he has been reminiscing about for years, we could explore new ones together, and I could see the many regions of France that make it the culinary mecca of the world.  Of course, food and wine go together, so we will also be stopping in the different wine regions to discover what all the fuss is about. (note - we are big California wine drinkers and will be learning A LOT about French wines while we are here)


We are currently in the second week of our trip and have a lot to catch up on but stay tuned for our week one recap soon!  In the meantime, you can get up to the minute photo updates on instagram...(#teeandlaurendofrance)


~view overlooking the Mont Saint Michel Bay in Brittany while the tide goes out~