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