Friends, Family, and a Graduation

I started off today by going to the mall. I met up with a Pokémon Go friend there for a lucky trade, then did a little shopping. When packing for this trip, I checked the weather forecast, and because Munich was going to be cool and rainy, I packed leggings that go with my ankle boots, and socks that also work with the boots. However, I did not try them on together, so when I put on my dress this morning I discovered that the tops of the socks and the bottoms of the leggings didn't meet. My ankles were cold! I also deliberately did not pack an umbrella, because my travel raincoat is enough for most days (that is, when I remember to put it in my bag). The rain was steady today, so in addition to a longer pair of socks, I also picked up a cheap umbrella.

I poked my head into a drugstore to buy some sunscreen and cough drops. At home, I like the sugar-free Ricola cough drops, but I've only been able to find two flavors, and I didn't like one of them. There were many more choices here, and they came in cute little boxes so that I don't have to deal with noisy wrappers during performances.

I had lunch with with Beth & Jimmy, and my sister Emily. We had tasty German food, but did not remember to take any photos of our schnitzels, potato salad, Kasespätzel, and pancake with apple sauce. Or of each other — I guess we were hungry!

Pedestrian underpass

For dinner, I met my high school classmate Kristy and her husband, and had more tasty German food. I opted for a salad with chicken (schnitzel-style), and a sour-cherry spritzer.

And now for the main event, the reason we're all in Munich. Today Beth graduated from Iwanson International, after three years of hard work.

Murano and a Two-Gelato Day

First a couple of photos from last night that didn't make it into yesterday's post.

We passed all kinds of interesting shops on the way to dinner, including this spice shop:

and this rubber ducky shop:

~~~~~

For dinner we ate at Osteria Anice Stellato, which was recommended by a friend of Susan's. The pasta we shared in lieu of an appetizer was amazing (pappardelle ragu alla napoletana):

~~~~~

We started off today just outside our hotel at the Rialto Market, where I picked up some tasty apricots.

~~~~~

Next stop was Murano, where we visited countless little shops in search of exactly the right glass things. I found a necklace I liked, and also picked up several pairs of earrings in various price ranges. A lot of the shops had these cool little mosaics on the outside walls. I meant to take a few more photos but got distracted shopping, so here are the three I found in my camera roll:

 

For lunch we stopped at a random restaurant, and I had a very tasty seafood appetizer plate.

~~~~~

After Murano, we wandered through the city on our way to St. Marks Square.

~~~~~

Saint Mark's Basilica is just as amazing as the last time I saw it.

~~~~~

On the way to St. Mark's and afterward, going back to the hotel, we tried the old-fashioned way of navigating around Venice. It's a really different experience with Google Maps in our hands, and it was fun to just try and figure out where to go using the signs and arrows painted on buildings.

~~~~~

Here's the first gelato of the day. One scoop each of strawberry and passion fruit, in an edible cup. Even the search for gelato is different now than it was fourteen years ago: instead of just happening upon a gelato store around a corner, now I look on Google Maps and find the highest rated one nearby.

~~~~~

For dinner tonight, we took an Eat Like a Local tour. Our tour guide Sara was fabulous, and all the food was amazing. We started with a little antipasti (the prosciutto and cheeses with baslamic condiment were good, but everyone was raving about the salami). Subsequent courses (each at a different restaurant) included deep-fried mozzarella with ham or fish, deep-fried meat-stuffed olive, fried seafood, pasta, polenta/meatball/roasted potato skewer, coffee (I had a decaf macchiato), an amazing pastry which I've forgotten the name of (sfoglio-something?), capped off with gelato #2 of the day.

~~~~~

Good night Venezia!