Munich, Germany —

Last week, we finished up our first walking tour of Bavaria and Austria and we were a bit anxious to see what folks’ reactions were going to be. You can plan every trip to the nth degree but you will never know how the whole experience is going to come together until you share it with a group of curious walkers. This trip was especially important to me because I had incorporated a fair amount of my personal history into the trip. Favorite nooks and crannies from years ago were on the agenda.

Hence, when the verdict came in on our new trip, we were a bit more than thrilled. Here are a few comments from our fellow travelers.

“It’s the week before the Oktoberfest. Where the hell are all the tourists!?”

“Other than the view of the sea from our beach house, this is the most beautiful scenery I have seen in my life!”

“I never considered Germany a culinary destination but the meals this week have been the finest that I’ve enjoyed in years.”

“Why can’t my Italian guy in New York make pasta this fresh? I’ve got to come to this little valley in Austria to taste the real deal?”

“When did Germany start producing such tasty pinot noirs?”

“We’re going to make this hotel our home for many European journeys to come.”

So anyway, blissed out in Bavaria, enjoying the bratwurst and beer but also looking beyond them to discover some new and sophisticated delights.