Hi! I just got back from my first ride in Arizona… and yes, it was sunny and beautiful just as I hoped it would be!

I rode with Deneen around Scottsdale. We apparently did this loop that is a Tues/Thurs group ride. It’s around Paradise Valley I think? I dunno, all I know is that it’s so pretty… I love the desert and the Southwest. Funny, I never thought I’d be a desert girl, but ever size my first trip to the desert for training camp a couple seasons ago I have absolutely adored it. Tour of the Gila in Silver City, NM is one of my favorite races on the NRC calendar for that very reason!

Now I am getting ready to go out for another ride with Gina. It’ll be nice to be in the sun for another hour or three.

The sights and smells of Christmas are alive in Munich… Here are some pictures from the Marienplatz Christkindlmarkt for you to enjoy.

So I just looked at the weather forecast for Phoenix today, and boy am I excited. Here’s what it looks like:

Thu Dec 08 Partly Cloudy 65°/44°

FriDec 09 Mostly Sunny 68°/45°

Sat Dec 10 Partly Cloudy 68°/43°

Sun Dec 11 Partly Cloudy 70°/44°

Mon Dec 12 Mostly Sunny 70°/48°

Tue Dec 13 Sunny 70°/46°

Wed Dec 14 Partly Cloudy 70°/47°

WAHOOO! This is a cyclist’s dream weather forecast any time of the year. I can’t wait to log some long miles in the desert mountains. I’ll be sure to take lots of pictures and write some good reports during my stay in Phoenix.

It’s that time again… Christmas! I love being here in Munich during the holiday season… all the shops are decorated and full of Christmas trinkets, snow is falling, and Marienplatz is full of people bustling in the streets wandering through the Christkindlmarkt.

Bavarians love Christmas time. Actually I think Bavarians love every season or period of the year. They seem to always have festivals to celebrate during the year. Oktoberfest is probably the most popular, but they also have the Auer Dult, Tollwood Winter Festival, Strong Beer Season, and the list goes on. You can see a full list of highlights for Bavarian festivals and activities for the entire year on Munich’s official website. I love all the festivities because since we live in die Stadtmitte (center city), we are right in the thick of things. It’s neat to see all the changes to the city and unique characteristics of each season.

Sendlinger Tor also has it’s own Christkindlmarkt. As soon as we pop out of the Ubahn station, Joe and I are greeted with the sights and smells of Christmas… with lots of people standing around and cheerily talking. They even have Christmas music live everyday in the square at 3:00pm.

I’ve enjoyed wandering around all the different vendor’s huts. There’s all sorts of things you can buy at the Christkindlmarkt. They have everything Christmas- ornaments, nativity sets, crosses, nutcrakers, figurines, santas, toys… to name a few - but they also have lots of good food particular to this certain time of year. Of course they have lots of Wurst (sausage) and Breze (soft pretzels)… it is Bavaria after all! The drink of Christkindlmarkt is Gluehwein- a spiced wine served hot in a nice souviener mug (well, that is if you don’t turn the mug back in. You have to pay a “pfand,” or deposit, on the mug). I highly recommed trying out the recipe for Gluehwein this holiday season… brew up a pot for your family and friends, or just for yourself! Read the rest of this entry »