Guy and Girl Travels

5 Nights in Munich: Sites, Tours, Beer, and Beyond

Michelle Onorato — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 14:44:38 +0000

Next month we’re heading to Munich, Germany to attend the 200th anniversary of Oktoberfest. With our adventure right around the corner, we’ve been busy researching sites, tours, and beer gardens that we’d love to visit. Plus, we both have German heritage in our respective family trees, so we are excited to walk in the land where our relatives once stepped.

Here is Guy and Girl Travels’ list of attractions in and around Munich that we’re hoping to visit:

Photographer: Senator86

1. Oktoberfest: We’d love to party in beer tents, take a ride on the Ferris Wheel, eat local fairground food, and have a good old time!

2. Munich Hop-On-Hop-Off Double Decker Bus Tour: A 24 hour bus ticket that gives a tour of the city in between bus stops. This is the perfect way for us to get a feel for the city on our very first day.

3. Bier and Oktoberfestmuseum: This is a beer and Oktoberfest Museum that breaks down the history of both.

4. Old Town: We’d love to wander the Old Town and admire the old buildings and facades!

5. Neuhauser StraBe: A street filled with shopping and cafes in the Old Town. (Shopping! Yay for Michelle!)

6. Marienplatz: The central square of Munich that’s bustling with crowds.

7. Neues Rathaus: New Town Hall with a viewing tower and it boasts a chiming clock (like in Prague) that puts on a show!

Photographer: Diliff via Wikimedia Commons

8. Augustinerbrau: One of the oldest pubs in Munich known as Augustine Brewery.

9. Frauenkirche: This is a church with a viewing tower. Supposedly, the devil’s footprint is in the back of the church. Spooky!

10. Viktualienmarkt: Food Markets are the best in Europe! We’d love to walk around and sample local fruits, cheese, and flavors.

11. Residenz: This is a former royal palace.

12. Staatliches Museum Agypischer Kunst: This is located in the Residenz and hosts Egyptian Fine Art.

13. Antiquarium: OMG! Talk about beautiful! This is a great hall and is the oldest surviving part of the the Residenz.

14. Hofbrauhaus: A beer Garden with beautiful oak trees that we’d love to sit under.

Photographer: Michael Helmer via Wikimedia Commons

15. Englischer Garten: One of Europe’s largest city parks. There is a famous beer garden located around The Chinese Tower.

16. The Museum District: We’d love to check out some art museums and galleries!

17. Churches: There are a number of churches we’d love to see from St. Michael’s to All Hallows’ Church. (Churches in Europe are the best!)

18. After Dark: The Ghost Tour: Spooky Fun!

19. Neuschwanstein Castle: A beautiful palace in southwest Bavaria that was the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty’s Castle in Disneyland.

20. Romantic Road Day Tour: A full day tour filled with castles, medieval villages, and guaranteed romance. (Yay! Make out sessions galore!)

How about you? What are your recommendations for sites, tours, beer, and beyond for good times in Munich?

Jersey Shore Ghost Tours

Michelle Onorato — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:27:53 +0000

The Dublin House

Add a little soul to your Jersey Shore travels by taking a haunted walking tour with Jersey Shore Ghost Tours. With two locations in Keyport and Red Bank, you’ll hear tales of love, loss, history, and be spoiled by unsolved mysteries. Ever hear of Jaws, the great white shark who wreaked havoc on a small beach town? Then check out the Keyport Ghost Tour to see where a shark attack took place. Interested in hearing pirate lore or would like to revel in the history of American Indians? Then delve into the Red Bank Ghost Tour!

Jersey Shore Ghost Tours’ knowledgeable tour guides scare up the night as their historical costumes flow with every step while their lantern lights flicker with every tale of terror. Feeling extra courageous? Then take out your iPhone and snap a few photos to see if anything encounters your pictures!

First time travelers will agree that both shore towns are appealing, with Keyport’s historical charm and Red Bank’s cultural buzz. Lucky for tour goers, Jersey Shore Ghost Tours provides an up-close view of these shore towns, so first time travelers can see for themselves what all the talk is about.

Jersey Shore Ghost Tours offer private and group tours Friday and Saturday nights from August through Halloween. For times and meeting points, go to http://www.keyportghosttours.com/.
Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for children 10 and under. To make a reservation, please call 732-500-6262.

Our Official He Said/She Said Review:
He Said: Jersey Shore Ghost Tours are entertaining and full of historical tidbits.
She Said: I have a feeling the Jersey Shore’s best kept haunted secret is about to come out!

Guy and Girl Travels Tip: Make the most of your trip and head to each shore town a little early. There are restaurants, taverns, cafés, and shops that will surely entertain you!

She Says: In Pursuit of the Traveling Purse

Michelle Onorato — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:38:47 +0000

Photographer: Tom Harpel (Wikimedia Commons)

Four years ago, I bought the ultimate traveling companion that every woman desires – the perfect purse. A black, sturdy, one zippered, deep pocketed girlie girl that fit all my traveling needs: camera, video camera, wallet, hair brush, makeup, cell phone, travel guides, and the occasional souvenir. Unfortunately, my BFF has met its maker and is on the brink to becoming a purse angel. Saddened by the end of our relationship, I’ve had no choice but to scour malls, super stores, and the occasional flea market with no end in sight. For the purse of my dreams will have to endure the long haul of lying under airplane seats, being squished to my bosom in crowded cities, and being beaten down by the hustle and bustle of everyday life. For this purse will not mind the clanging of loose change, the endless scattering of receipts, and the added weight of my pen thievery.

Therefore, the challenge is out there – where can I find my new BFF? Is it on the operating table being born as we speak or is it out there, wishing upon a star that it will find a home?

If you’ve got the perfect traveling BFF, please let me know! Where did you find her? Was it love at first sight? And most importantly, will you ever let her go?

The John Lennon Wall

Michelle Onorato — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 02:05:18 +0000

In all of our travels, we never felt more like we were on the Amazing Race than when we looked for the John Lennon Wall in Prague. We had our guide book opened, with its disproportioned map, sending our heads spinning around in Kampa Island. And just like an over the top team on the Amazing Race, we broke down and had our silly little spat before finally finding our destination.

Tip: Take the stairs down on Charles Bridge to reach Kampa Island.

We quickly realized we didn’t have a pen or marker to write our peaceful messages to the world, so we delved into reading those on the wall. From Beatles lyrics, to poetry and drawings, to “we were here” sayings - we got a kick out of getting lost and discovering a bit of Czech Republic’s history.

After John Lennon’s Death in 1980, the John Lennon Wall represented the gripes and protests of revelers who used this wall to express their anti-communist beliefs against the government. The communist police would then clean the wall creating a battle of graffiti vs. clean.

Since the fall of communism in the Czech Republic, this wall transitioned from anti-communist graffiti to messages of peace and love. To date, the John Lennon Wall is still used to spread messages of peace, love, and free expression. And unlike those young revelers in the 1980s, there’s no current punishment for adding your own creative, peaceful expression to this wall.

Fact: John Lennon never actually visited Prague.

The John Lennon Wall is located in Kampa Island. The exact location . . . well, you’ll have to challenge yourself to an Amazing Race adventure!

Guy and Girl Travels Tip: Don’t forget to bring a sharpie to add your homage to the John Lennon Wall. If you’re an artist, why not draw John Lennon himself?

Samantha Brown Travels The Jersey Shore

Guy and Girl Travels — Thu, 13 May 2010 01:34:02 +0000

Photographer: Italo2712

Premiering tonight at 10:30 E/P on the Travel Channel is Samantha Brown’s Great Weekends where Samantha explores the Jersey Shore!

The Jersey Shore is where this Guy and Girl grew up, so we were thrilled to learn an episode was premiering on the Travel Channel that didn’t involve Seaside or Jersey Drama. (Yeah, we got attitude!)

Samantha Brown’s episode concentrates on the Jersey Shore’s beaches and music scene, which dates back to the generation when our parents and grandparents learned the twist and the mashed potato!

Samantha Brown and the Travel Channel really showed off the Jersey Shore’s Rock and Roll culture, where even our dogs can join in the party at Wonder Bar’s Yappy Hour!

From beaches and boardwalks to casinos and piers, this episode highlights beach bumming, parasailing, and speed boating by day to singing, head banging, and concerting by night. These are exactly the rocker vibes that equates the Jersey Shore, bringing vacationers from miles around to join in on the fun. The Jersey Shore Roller Girls are even highlighted in this episode as they are the new, hottest thing to hit the shore with their Roller Derby warfare.

The shore towns that Samantha Brown explores in this episode are Wildwood, Atlantic City, Ocean City, and Asbury Park. All of these locations have a great music scene, with Atlantic City’s really having grown in the past several years. There isn’t a weekend that goes by now when Atlantic City isn’t buzzing with a famous band or singer performing!

Photographer: Rosana Prada

The Jersey Shore’s Rock-N-Rollers range from teenagers brimming with rebellion to adults kicking back and relaxing. The Jersey Shore is home to more bars than night clubs and it’s always exciting to hear how John Bon Jovi had given a surprise performance at a local bar the night before. Celebrities are even known to vacation here with some owning summer homes.

First time visitors to the Jersey Shore can expect excellent food, beaches galore, friendly bars, great music, and hey -maybe a little attitude!

So, check out Sam Brown’s Jersey Shore episode tonight on the Travel Channel and if you happened to miss it, do what we do - DVR it!

The Painting That Made Me Weep

Michelle Onorato — Thu, 06 May 2010 20:48:11 +0000

Annibale Carracci - Pietà with Saint Francis and Saint Mary Magdalene

I was 25 on vacation in romantic Paris with my husband, Joey of 5 years. We were at the Louvre and had just finished admiring the Mona Lisa. We wanted to explore more, so we headed back into the Grande Galerie, which is this massively long hallway filled with paintings from ceiling to floor.

While exploring the gallery, my eyes locked with a painting by Annibale Carracci entitled Pietà with Saint Francis and Saint Mary Magdalene. It portrays Mary holding Christ’s body as Saint Francis and Saint Mary Magdalene look on in mourning. There is also a baby, under Christ’s arm, cuddled to his body and a separate cherub leaning towards Christ’s calves. Both baby and cherub are pointing to the holes where Christ had been nailed to the cross.

Moments after seeing the baby and cherub, I began to weep. Their facial expressions - tearful, confused, and devastated - caused a distant memory to resurface.

It was July 13, 1992. My 11 year old body had awoken from a deep slumber around 4 am after hearing people scuffling about the house. I saw flashing lights of an ambulance zipping around my bedroom walls. Hearing my mom’s frantic voice down the hallway, I jumped out of bed, opened my bedroom door, and saw a young man, in his early 20s, wearing a medic’s uniform. He had a mix of horror and determination on his face as he stood over my dad’s sleeping, peaceful body. I slowly walked passed eyes wide opened, watching as the medic checked his vitals. Another medic saw me and ran to close the bedroom door.

What seemed like hours, lasted only a few minutes when one by one, my sister and two brothers joined my mom and I in the living room. We quickly discovered dad hadn’t woken up when his alarm clock rang and my mom couldn’t wake him up.

Bits and pieces of this experience are blurred now, but I remember my brothers and sisters sitting around the kitchen table in silence while my mom awaited news from the medics. Our neighbor Jackie, a nurse at the local hospital came into the kitchen and broke the news. Our father, my mom’s husband, had passed away. My mom, brothers, and sister started crying, while I, not fully understanding, put my head down on the kitchen table and pretended to cry.

Throughout the day, aunts, uncles, and neighbors came over, many crying – many trying to stay strong. Silence took over the house that day as people took to their corners and chairs mourning over my father. Not understanding, I focused all of my energy on being a good girl and staying out of everyone’s way. I even looked the part of a mourning child, by appearing sad and pretending to cry every so often. But, needless to say, not a single tear had rolled down my cheeks.

That night after everyone had left; my 11 year old body finally understood what everyone else already knew. My dad, who looked so peaceful lying in bed as a medic tried to revive him, had passed away. I couldn’t even give him a kiss goodnight. Suddenly my pretend tears and my forced looks of sadness from the long day had turned into uncontrollable hysterics that no motherly, brotherly, or sisterly love could comfort. As my mom sat there hugging me, consoling me, and wiping the tears off my cheeks, I wept for my father and for myself.

After my father’s funeral, I suffered from post traumatic stress causing me to block out 11 years of memories with my father, including his appearance. I managed to hold on to a few memories – the one of his peaceful body lying in bed, the funeral, and of our last kiss goodnight just a few hours before he died.

Being in Paris, at the Louvre and coming in contact with a childhood tragedy was not something I had anticipated while on vacation. But, it was this baby and cherub’s facial expressions who mourned over Christ that had stirred up my own pain. I understood their sadness, confusion, and anger. I had lived through it. I wept for them in front of this painting.

It was an unexpected moment, in an unexpected city that evoked this childhood memory. And shortly thereafter, as the months rolled by, I was blessed to finally have those 11 years of memories come back to me. For some reason, weeping in front of this painting brought me the closure I’d needed. It had even helped a haunting memory of a last kiss goodnight turn into a cherished memory.

*If you’re heading to the Louvre and would like to see this painting, it’s located in the Room 12 of the Grande Galerie on the first floor of the Denon Wing.

The Countdown: Oktoberfest 2010

Guy and Girl Travels — Sat, 01 May 2010 13:50:16 +0000

Photo By: Andreas Steinhoff

This fall, Guy and Girl Travels is headed to Europe for a trip of a lifetime – to attend the 200th anniversary of Oktoberfest!

We’ll be hitting the tents, drinking beer, tasting new cuisines, and doing our best to avoid hangovers! (Doubtful!)

Above all, we’ll be in Germany, which is in our blood line. So, it’ll be interesting to get a glimpse of where our ancestors came from!

If you’re heading to Oktoberfest, drop us a 140 @guyngirltravels! Cause we’ll be tweeting our way through the beer tents!

Philly Cheesesteaks – Nothing But The Best!

Guy and Girl Travels — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 00:11:52 +0000

No stop to Philly is complete without devouring cheesesteaks (or splitting two) from legendary rivals - Pat’s King of Steaks and Geno’s Steaks!

Located diagonally across from each other, Geno’s stands out with its bling bling exterior and extensive celebrity photos while Pat’s has a facade of old world perfection!

Geno’s cheesesteaks are thin sliced while Pat’s are chopped-up and piled-high!

Expect long lines at both locations, which is not bad considering the digesting time needed between cheesesteaks! Plus, you’ll stand in both lines with the same people who are doing exactly what you’re doing – judging who wins the cheesesteak war! Start socializing and maybe by the time you reach the register, you’ll want to share a table together alfresco style!

Before you go, read these simple rules to help avoid an embarrassing moment while getting you one step closer to cheesesteak heaven! (Does the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld ring a bell?)

1. Use cash! If you forgot to hit the bank on the way in, there is an ATM located on the sidewalk between these two rivals.

Fact: While waiting on line at Geno’s, we watched as management banned a man from getting a cheesesteak because his friend accidentally walked away with his wallet, leaving him no choice but to leave the order window to chase after him! (He stepped away for merely seconds!)

2. Know your order! To avoid feeling shell shocked, prepare ahead by scoping out their menus online.

3. Specify if you want your cheesesteak wit or wit-out onions! (That’s right – we said wit!) And of course, don’t forget to order your cheese choice!

4. Step down to the second window after you’ve ordered, paid, and received your cheesesteak. Here you can purchase drinks and fries. (This keeps the line moving!)

GPS It: Pat’s King of Steaks is located where 9th Street crosses Wharton & Passyunk Ave. Geno’s Steaks is located at 1219 S 9th St. Both are opened 24 hours a day.

Guy and Girl Travels Tip: Parallel parking is basically mandatory here, so make sure you don’t end up on the sidewalk like our very own Michelle!

Travel Fever

Guy and Girl Travels — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 18:40:15 +0000

As y’all know, Michelle sprained a ligament in her knee 7 weeks ago causing us to cancel our Memphis and Tunica escape! (So sad!) On a positive note, her knee is finally on the road to recovery and hopefully within a few weeks, she’ll be ready for extended travel!

For Joey, 5 weeks from today marks his college graduation! Not only is he earning a degree in Visual Communications, but he is also graduating with a 4.0 GPA! (WOW!) We are very excited for what the future holds! (Look out art world – there’s a new artist in town!)

Between PT Exercises and college classrooms, we are both craving some serious adventures! With this in mind, here’s a snapshot of what’s coming up on GGT:

The Jersey Shore – beaches and boardwalks
Baltimore, Maryland – haunts, pubs, food, and culture
Philadelphia – romance, cheese steaks, history, and museums
New York City – day trips, art, and adventure

Oh, and as a side note, we have some exciting travel plans coming up in the fall! We’ll give you a few hints – lots of beer, world famous chocolate, and an art region that bears the same last name as a Simpsons’ character!

Much Love,
Joey and Michelle

Three Barcelona Freebies

Michelle Onorato — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:20:06 +0000

Let’s face it – traveling isn’t cheap. Even with today’s fortunate travel steals, travel comes with a price. Between airfare, accommodations, and your budgeted daily allowance for food, transportation, attractions, souvenirs, etc. – travel has its expenses.

Luckily for travelers, Barcelona is home to a few freebies, all of which create lifelong memories, cushion your daily travel allowance, and sneak in a little exercise.

Views and a Show. Whether art enthusiasts or not, visitors can appreciate the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya. Here, extraordinary views of Barcelona await you. Located in Palau National in the Montjuic section of Barcelona, visitors can relax on the front steps of this majestic building and absorb the views. If you’re lucky, a local musician may even be playing the Spanish Guitar.

Afterwards, head down to Font Màgica and/or Plaça d’Espanya to catch a live performance of the water/light fountain show that is set to music and has the MNAC as its backdrop. Check with the tourism board ahead of time for performance schedules/changes.

Tip: There is a small outdoor cafe located at the front entrance to the MNAC.

Park Guell. Take an afternoon escape and explore the grounds of this park. This UNESCO World Heritage site is one of Antonio Gaudi’s many masterpieces. Stroll the grounds and make your way up to the highest point where you’ll find a stone tower fitted with a few large crosses. Along the way, enjoy breathtaking bay and mountainside views. Don’t forget to walk the runway in your best haunted bride manner, as in Cycle 7 of America’s Next Top Model! (At the front entrance, make a left and go past the food court/rest rooms. A little further ahead is where you’ll find the slanted columns where the final runway challenge took place.) Expect to spend at least three hours walking leisurely through this park’s grounds. As with any park, always wear comfortable sneakers and have a bottle(s) of water on hand.

Tip: Pack a light lunch and find a quiet location to indulge in private time. You’ll find benches located variously throughout the park.

Barceloneta and Port Vell. Regardless of the season, no trip to Barcelona is complete without visiting the beach and bay. Barceloneta is home to the sandy shores where the Mediterranean Sea greets the shoreline. The smell of the sea alone is worth dipping into. Sitting on the beach, you’ll see beautiful seaside cliffs in the far distance. There is also a small boardwalk to stroll along and watch as many local artisans entertain you with their impressive sand castles.

Port Vell is about a 45 minute walk from Barceloneta. Along the way, you’ll pass marinas, boats, and outdoor dockside dining. Once you reach Port Vell, you’ll find an aquarium, a movie theater, a mini-mall, and many restaurants. This is a great place to kick back, relax, and enjoy the scenic bay views while watching seagulls swim in the crystal clear water.

Tip: Taxis are easy to find in both areas in case the 45 minute walk throws you off. There are also bike rentals available along the route.

How about you? Do you know of any Barcelona freebies that will maximize travelers’ Euros?