The “Amerikahaus” is a cultural institution established in the wake of WWII to promote German-American dialogue.
I had both morning and afternoon appointments at the Bavarian State Archive this Wednesday, so I packed my lunch and enjoyed a picnic in this platz by Ludwig Maximilian University.
The Blutenburg Theater, dedicated to crime and mystery theater, is named after the street it is on, but the “Blut” in its name is ironically also the German word for blood. 
Since I didn’t buy wrapping paper for Kacper’s birthday present, I made my own by doodling on some leftover crate paper.
Part of my gift to Kacper was this picture I painted of a cave in The Wave, a park on the Arizona-Utah border that he and his brother visited while touring the American Southwest and West Coast. Thankfully his brother sent me the photo for inspiration.
On Friday night I met up with two Fulbright friends at one of their favorite burger places in Munich! The burger and fries lived up to the hype.
We spent Saturday, Kacper’s birthday, in Salzburg. In the background is “Festung Hohensalzburg,” a castle on a hill which stands guard over the city. Schloss Mirabell and its gardens are in the foreground.
Our walk up to the Festung Hohensalzburg included a significant change in elevation. 
This view shows an interior courtyard of the Festung Hohensalzburg.
One of the best parts of touring the Festung Hohensalzburg is the lookout over the city. In addition to the beautiful view of the city itself, as seen in the title image, you also get a picturesque view of the surrounding landscape.
The castle was a conglomerate of individual pieces that developed and grew over time.
This view of the Festung Hohensalzburg is from Kapitelplatz which is a large public square next to the cathedral.
Residenzplatz is the public square on the other side of the cathedral.
On the Fourth of July I baked graham crackers because they are nearly impossible to find in German supermarkets and I wanted to teach my floormates how to make s’mores. While they don’t look as professional as store-bought, I thought that, at least taste-wise, they turned out pretty well.
This week was another week full of hard work and lots of fun! On Monday, in addition to my normal workload, I ran some errands during the day. In the evening Kacper and I went to an event at the “Amerikahaus,” a cultural institution established in the wake of WWII to promote German-American dialogue. The event was a guided tour by the curator of an exhibit documenting 60 years of the Marvel Comic Universe. In addition to the exhibit itself being interesting, it was also a great opportunity to network with Fulbright alumni living in Munich. After the event, we watched more of the European Championship.

Tuesday was a work day but ended with watching Germany’s disappointing loss to England. Having both morning and afternoon appointments in the Bavarian State Archives was productive but draining, so I was happy to have a movie night and watch Knives Out. On Thursday evening Kacper, his brother, his brother’s girlfriend, and I took advantage of Munich’s gradually reopening cultural scene and went to a small theater to see a comedic interpretation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles.

Friday kicked off a festive weekend. In the evening I met up with two Fulbright friends for burgers! I then returned to Roncalli to watch soccer with my floormates and celebrate Kacper’s birthday which was the following day. Kacper’s brother and his brother’s friend visited from Berlin! On Saturday morning we enjoyed a delicious “Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte,” or “Black Forest Cake,” that our culinary-talented floormate baked for Kacper’s birthday. Then Kacper, his two brothers, his brother’s friend, and I set off for a day in Salzburg, Austria. When we arrived we satisfied our hunger by eating a meal that originated in Salzburg: the Bosna, a spicy sausage served in a bun with onions and mustard. We then walked up to “Festung Hohensalzburg,” a castle on a hill which overlooks the city. After touring the fortified grounds and royal rooms, we descended back into the city and got burritos for dinner! We returned to Munich in time to have a “Maß,” or liter, of beer in an Augustiner Beer Hall. 

In an attempt to celebrate the 4th of July, I spent Sunday morning baking graham crackers so that in the afternoon I could teach my floormates how to make s’mores. They entertained me and played “The Star Spangled Banner” through our kitchen’s speakers. While my floormates agreed the s’more tasted good, they were simultaneously disgusted by how much sugar they had consumed. My American afternoon transitioned into a very Bavarian evening as I participated in a Schafkopf tournament. No surprise but compared to my friends who have been playing since childhood, I was no competition. The day ended by wrapping up my week of “Küchendienst,” or “Kitchen Duty,” and doing a thorough clean of our kitchen with my partner.

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