Germany Part 2 - München

The drive to Munich was pretty amazing. Really, all the driving was – it was like driving through a postcard. The weather was perfect – highs of 75 with clear sunny skies. Storybook cottages. Castles. Forests. Men and their dogs herding their flocks of sheep over the rolling hills and across the farmlands while playing flute. Enjoying life’s simple pleasures. Not quite but you get the point. It was beautiful.

If everyone drove like the Germans, it’d be a happier place. During all our driving, we barely hit any traffic – when we did hit “traffic” it was nothing in comparison to metro Atlanta traffic. We didn’t see any accidents either – interesting because they driver super fast but probably because they obey the traffic laws. When I’d imagined the autobahn, I pictured a white tunnel with cars flying. A more dramatic version of this – 

With everyone going speeds of 90 + mph, you don’t notice how fast you’re going. It was smooth, scenic and pretty seamless ride.

We got to Munich and met the rest of our group – there were a total of 8 of us in a teeny tiny European one bedroom, one bathroom apartment. It was interesting. We’d brought a trunk full of air mattresses and there wasn’t enough room in the apartment for them. So, we moved the furniture onto the patio and covered the apartment floor in air mattresses. Funny thing, no one took a picture. Here’s the view from the patio. 

We spent the first day strolling the city streets close to the Marienplatz to view the Frauenkirche. The Marienplatz is a large open square in the city center with lots of stores and street vendors. 

We headed towards the Neues Rathaus and waited for the hourly Glockenspiel show. It was about as exciting a show as you’d imagine from a 1908 puppet show. 

This was pretty entertaining…

There was a protest forming so we continued on our stroll. 

We stopped in the Peterskirche to say hi to this fellow –

His body is undergoing renovations (that’s what the sign said) so the picture will have to do. 

And from there we decided it was time for a beer. We went on to the Hofbräuhaus am Platzl which is in an inn that was built in 1528. The space is huge – a ballroom, stage and a huge open beer garden. We sat outside and enjoyed our drinks along with some Bavarian dishes.

Unfortunately, I did not take a pictures of my food – so I don’t remember what I ate. It was probably something wurst. We ate a lot of meat. A whole lot. These people like their meats from all animals – roasted and served with potato dumplings and sauerkraut. Despite the lack of green, the food was better than expected – if you like savory meats. 

Up next, Oktoberfest.