Munich, Germany
Munich is the capitol of Bavaria and home of Oktoberfest (which is actually mostly in September). Munich was heavily bombed in WWII, but it was decided to rebuild the city exactly the the way it was. City leaders relied heavily on archival photographs to rebuild. The main rule then, as it is today, is that no building could be built higher than the city's church spires.
The heart of Munich is Marienplatz (Mary's Square). The main attraction is the Glockenspiel on the New City Hall (Neues Rathaus). 
The top half of the Glockenspiel tells the story of the marriage of the local Duke who founded the Hofbrauhaus. There is a joust with life-sized knights on horseback. The Bavarian knight always wins. The bottom half is the coopers' dance. A cooper makes wooden barrels. When the plague hit Munich, the coopers are said to have danced through the streets. Their dance came to symbolize perseverance through difficult times. The Glockenspiel plays twice a day (12:00 and 5:00)
We stayed just outside the city center in a slower paced neighborhood a couple blocks from the Munchner Freiheit U-Bahn (subway) stop. The U-Bahn was a very convenient and quick way to get around Munich. I had fun riding on the U-Bahn, especially when it meant keeping my balance on starts and stops.
A short walk from the Marienplatz is the world famous Hofbrauhaus. If you are beer lover this is the place to be. Since it's beginning in 1589 is has been visited by many historical figures from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to John F. Kennedy. It also has the dubious distinction as a meeting place of Adolph Hitler and the Nazi party. You can still barely make out painted-over swastikas on the ceiling.
I thought my mug of Orange Fanta was big, but check out my parent's full liter beer steins! You can't buy a beer smaller than a liter. Germans are definitely in the big leagues when it comes to drinking beer. We ate sausage, sauerkraut & large pretzels with our beer (and Fanta) and topped it off with apple strudel for dessert! You can't get more any more German than that!
The party never stops at the Hofbrauhaus. The main hall is filled with singing to German drinking songs played by the Oompa band.
Felderrnhalle is a Bavarian war memorial on the Odeonsplatz used by the Nazis. It is flanked by the Residenz which is the home palace (or schloss) of the Wittelsbach ruling family.
Englischer Garten (English Garden) is the largest urban park in Europe. It has miles of bike paths and a few well placed outdoor beer gardens. Munich is considered one of the most live-able cities in the world and this park is a big reason why. btw... I hope dad returns Mary Poppins' bicycle.
After a grueling bike ride it was time for a beer garden pit stop. What followed our break has no pictorial evidence. We had to return our bikes to the bicycle rental place. Seems simple enough, but when you make a wrong turn or two and go off of memory rather than a map, Munich can be a little daunting. Streets that once appeared to be quaint and historic now seemed traffic filled & suicidal. Dad saved the day when he made the bold decision to disobey Einbahnstraße ("One Way") street signs and paid little attention to the little old ladies on the sidewalk.
The heart of Munich is Marienplatz (Mary's Square). The main attraction is the Glockenspiel on the New City Hall (Neues Rathaus). 
The top half of the Glockenspiel tells the story of the marriage of the local Duke who founded the Hofbrauhaus. There is a joust with life-sized knights on horseback. The Bavarian knight always wins. The bottom half is the coopers' dance. A cooper makes wooden barrels. When the plague hit Munich, the coopers are said to have danced through the streets. Their dance came to symbolize perseverance through difficult times. The Glockenspiel plays twice a day (12:00 and 5:00)
We stayed just outside the city center in a slower paced neighborhood a couple blocks from the Munchner Freiheit U-Bahn (subway) stop. The U-Bahn was a very convenient and quick way to get around Munich. I had fun riding on the U-Bahn, especially when it meant keeping my balance on starts and stops.
A short walk from the Marienplatz is the world famous Hofbrauhaus. If you are beer lover this is the place to be. Since it's beginning in 1589 is has been visited by many historical figures from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to John F. Kennedy. It also has the dubious distinction as a meeting place of Adolph Hitler and the Nazi party. You can still barely make out painted-over swastikas on the ceiling.
I thought my mug of Orange Fanta was big, but check out my parent's full liter beer steins! You can't buy a beer smaller than a liter. Germans are definitely in the big leagues when it comes to drinking beer. We ate sausage, sauerkraut & large pretzels with our beer (and Fanta) and topped it off with apple strudel for dessert! You can't get more any more German than that!
The party never stops at the Hofbrauhaus. The main hall is filled with singing to German drinking songs played by the Oompa band.
Felderrnhalle is a Bavarian war memorial on the Odeonsplatz used by the Nazis. It is flanked by the Residenz which is the home palace (or schloss) of the Wittelsbach ruling family.
Englischer Garten (English Garden) is the largest urban park in Europe. It has miles of bike paths and a few well placed outdoor beer gardens. Munich is considered one of the most live-able cities in the world and this park is a big reason why. btw... I hope dad returns Mary Poppins' bicycle.
After a grueling bike ride it was time for a beer garden pit stop. What followed our break has no pictorial evidence. We had to return our bikes to the bicycle rental place. Seems simple enough, but when you make a wrong turn or two and go off of memory rather than a map, Munich can be a little daunting. Streets that once appeared to be quaint and historic now seemed traffic filled & suicidal. Dad saved the day when he made the bold decision to disobey Einbahnstraße ("One Way") street signs and paid little attention to the little old ladies on the sidewalk.
posted by Sam Bass at
7:45 PM
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