This month, I’m sharing the story of a duo from back home — Kim Paquin and Patrick Dallaire — two Quebecers from Shawinigan who packed their bags for Europe 16 years ago and have been enjoying life in Munich since 2014. And like many Canadian stories… this one also begins with hockey.

Patrick never imagined his hockey career would lead him into the heart of the Alps. But one day, the coach of EC Red Bull Salzburg invited him to come train the goaltenders. He figured it would be a little one-year European adventure.
Well… that “one year” turned into five years in Austria, and then a move to Munich to join the EHC Red Bull München team.
“That’s how I got to know German hockey,” he says. And he’s still there today.

Ask him what surprised him the most?
“The level of the players! Not at all what I expected!” he says, still sounding impressed.
Patrick was part of the German coaching staff when the team snatched the silver medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics. It was nothing short of a fairy tale.
“Even though I’m not German, I felt incredibly proud to represent the country at the Olympics.”

Kim jumped into the European adventure with a big smile— daughter in tow — and didn’t look back. Trained as a chef, she worked in professional and commercial kitchens before stumbling upon a gem in Munich: a restaurant specializing in the “Fluffy” pancakes, a delicious Japanese-French fusion creation. A perfect match for a curious cook… and a great excuse to “taste just a little piece” during service.

For Kim and Patrick, Munich feels like a big village where everything is close by: the countryside, the mountains, ski slopes, and… 3D archery ranges in the Alps. Yes, really — in Germany, archery isn’t just for Robin Hood. It’s a popular sport.
For them, it’s ideal: fresh air, beautiful mountains, peace and quiet — the perfect counterbalance to the noise in the hockey arenas.

What they also love are the markets. Local products everywhere—fresh, fresh, and more fresh.
For Kim, it took some getting used to: “No stocking up the fridge for a week… things just won’t last. Here, you eat fresh, all the time!”

Then comes the unavoidable lesson for anyone moving to Germany: Sunday rules.
A word of advice: NEVER take your bottles to the recycling bins that day. Kim laughs about it today, but let’s just say she learned very quickly what “German quiet day” really means.

Add to that the public holidays that conveniently fall on Mondays or Fridays, and planning meals becomes… interesting. Luckily the restaurants are open — and Germans love going out with friends!”

Integration isn’t just paperwork—it’s traditions. Kim will NEVER forget the day she and Patrick unexpectedly crossed paths with… the Perchten. Those terrifying masked creatures showing up behind you while enjoying a Glühwein at the Christmas market.
And the Krampus? He managed to scare their daughter so well that she still remembers it.
Welcome to Bavaria!

Will they go back to Quebec? Yes — one day.
It all depends on future opportunities, especially Patrick’s coaching contract renewal in 2027.

Until then, they’re enjoying Munich to the fullest: the mountains, the markets, the Fluffy pancakes, and the German traditions that are sometimes charming… and sometimes absolutely terrifying.

Marie Bérard