Munich

If week one has been any indication of how this next year will be, then Russ and I are in for quite a year.  Right from the start, its been an adventure.  My trip started in Omaha where I said good bye to my mom, dad, and brother.  From there I flew to Chicago where I sat at a bar and watched football while I awaited Russ and our departure to Munich.  It wasn’t until reaching Germany that I found out that my Broncos were victorious again in dramatic fashion.  However, while I waited for Russ I actually had to leave his gate and head by myself to our departure gate.  It wasn’t until after the final boarding call that I boarded the plane and thankfully Russ boarded just a few minutes later, after he ran through the terminal to just barely make it on time.  We then sat on the runway for nearly an hour before taking off.  The flight was fairly uneventful.  Russ and I watched Beerfest in anticipation for our time in Munich and then watched the in-flight movie Speed Racer, which was actually quite good.

Day 1

After arriving in Munich, we found out how much of a pain it can be to lug around all of the things that you will be needing for the next nine months.  What made it even better was the fact that the hotel gave us the wrong address and we ended up miles (or kilometers i suppose) in the wrong direction.  When we finally made it to our correct train stop, we walked in the wrong direction for at least 15 minutes.  So probably over four hours after landing, we finally made it to our hotel.  It was very small, but maybe because I expected the worst, it was not too bad.  The beds were fine, it was not dirty and the location could have been hard to beat.  We were less than two blocks from the main train and subway station in the city and only a ten minute walk from the Oktoberfest festival.  The price was quite high, (I’d rather not reveal the actual price) but after talking with many people we met around the city and at the festival, it seems we got a pretty good deal.

After settling in, we rested a bit and then headed straight down to the fair.  And our first visit was quite an experience.  I don’t think I really thought about how big it is and how many people are there at any one time.  When you are the fair, there are really three different parts.  You have the obvious one that everyone hears about, the beer halls, then there is the fair and amusement park part and I would say that for a fair, the rides were pretty awesome.  A couple of really good roller coasters and probably our favorite, a giant swing that spins around like a carousel but also lifts you probably close to 100 meters into the air.  Not a ride that my mom would enjoy, but quite a rush for us thrill seekers.  The third and final part to the fair is the area where all of the vendors are set up selling their products.  I even saw a John Deere vendor there!  However we did not enter this part of the fair as it cost money to go see all of these stands.

We spent our first night by going into the first couple of beer halls that we found.  The site is hard to believe.  Each hall is one big party and since there are 13 halls, there are 13 big parties going on at all hours of the day.  Bands are playing, people are singing and standing on tables,lots of drinking, and inevitably almost impossible to find a seat.  In fact in every tent that we entered there were entire sections reserved.  No doubt by a company had reserved an entire area for its guests.  Fortunately for us, we were able to find the spot which we would frequent each night on the third hall that we approached.  The great thing about this hall was that it had the typical inside area, but in addition a huge patio outside.  This hall served Augistiner-Brau, which from many Germans we talked with and from our own sampling at other tents, was one of the best beers in Germany.  It was here that we became regulars, or locals as we would like to think.  This first night we met a group of three Australian guys who we sat with the entire evening.  However, this was only the beginning of our cultural experience.  I spoke with a large group of Swedish men who were sitting behind us, as well as with many Germans.  We even became familiar with the employees here.  Our two servers each night were two brothers, Alex and Tommy.  Very friendly, great service, and not afraid to have a drink with you if you ask.  There was even a vendor selling t-shirts, from whom Russ and I each bought one.  I talked with him for quite awhile one night as I learned that his name was Elvis and from Zadar, Croatia; a place I had visited two years ago during my trip to Croatia.  Our first day a success, we made it home and prepared for our first full day experience in Munich.

Day 2

Upon starting day 2, we decided that we would spend the day at the amusement park section of Oktoberfest.  After the ten minute walk, we headed straight to the swing that takes you unbelievably high in the air.  However, it was not until we had started the ride that Russ decided to tell me that he has a real problem with heights.  Literally, the swing takes you up in a carousel fashion, where this is nothing but a little two-person swing separating you and the ground 100 meters below.  Luckily, Russ made it and I am here to write about it.  Next we went on two roller coasters, which were lots of fun too.  One took you inside a building for almost the entire part, with flames and lights all around you as your car spun around on the track as you flew down the path.  The other roller coaster is the Munich Olympic Games themed roller coaster with five upside down loops in the shape of the five olympic games.  Also lots of fun.

After trying on several funny hats, which seem to be the thing to wear while at Oktoberfest, we made our way to the monument on the grounds.  It is a huge building, featuring a lady with a lion standing our front.  And I do mean huge.  You could actually go up into the lady, walk up many steps and see the rest of the festival from her head!  We did not pay to do this as we had many other chances to have some great views of the festival.

Now beginning to get hungry, we made our way to the one tent that we found that was not one big party with picnic bunches everywhere.  This one was much more like a restaurant and because of this, we were actually able to find a table.  There was a great band that did not only German songs, but several American ones as well.  Anywhere from John Denver to Kid Rock to Meatloaf.  There outfits were plaid shirts with cowskin shorts?  Peculiar but very entertaining.  After having some drinks and food here, we made our way back to our spot at the Augistiner-Brau tent.  Here we met our Australian friends again, a few more very nice Germans, and couple of girls and one boy from Finland who were living in Munich as Au Pairs.

Day 3

On day 3 we decided that we would spend it at the Olympic Park.  Much different than the one in Barcelona, which we saw later, but both were very impressive in distinctly different ways.  When we made it to the park via the subway, our first stop was the BMW Museum and HeadQuarters right next to the park.  Lots of cool things to see there.  They had displays on all of their cars, new developments they are making in these cars, and of course the history of BMW.  We even decided to take the tour through the factory, which lasted about two hours but was really impressive as well.  They have it down to a science there, with so many robots and quality inspections to make sure everything is perfect for each one of their cars.  Makes me want to buy a BMW!  The tour took us right into the action as we even had to dodge a few sparks when we were in certain parts where parts were being molded together.  One final note about the BMW headquarters is that the main building, which was built just prior to the Olympic Games in Munich is shaped like a four-cylinder engine.  A very striking building and no doubt hard to miss for someone who came to see those games over 30 years ago.

The actual Olympic Park was immense.  A maze of paths and sporting complexes that appear to still be much in use today.  In fact we could not see the arena where the basketball was played due to the fact that that night Bryan Adams was playing in concert.  However right outside along the lake on the grounds there is a walk of fame where you can see hand prints and marks from all of the famous bands and acts that have performed there.  Groups such as Kiss, Genesis, Aerosmith, and B.B. King.  The stadium is very big but hard to tell how many seats there actually are.  We could only see from an obstructed view from the outside.  All of the buildings here though are constructed with a strange kind of net roof structure.  It sort of reminded me of the pool at this years olympics in Beijing.  Finally the pool itself.  We paid a small fee and were able to swim in it.  I am not sure if there are teams that practice there, but I would assume so as it looked like it is still used quite a bit today.  There were many other open swimmers while we were there as well.  Finally after leaving park, Russ and I took a bit of a longer walk to a different subway stop through a neighborhood next to the park.  It was cool to see some things that aren’t what the typical tourist sees.

To top off the day we returned, yet again, to our home at the Augistiner-Brau tent where we met more Germans, two Australians who were living in London, and a girl who was backpacking through Europe and was from Vancouver.  Another fun day, although only one more full one left to experience all that Munich has to offer.

Day 4

On our last full day, we headed to the city center where we would visit the other historic landmarks not near our part of town.  Immediately after getting off of the subway we came above ground and found ourselves smack in the middle of the main square of Munich.  Bordering one side of this main square was an enormous building with the biggest cuckoo clock i have ever seen.  Also in this square was the Max Krug store which is famous for its clocks too.  We walked in there for a bit and I wondered if the cuckoo clock hanging in my grandparents house in Beatrice, Nebraska was made here.  It looked strikingly similar in craftsmanship to the ones we saw.

From here we walked to one of the main cathedrals with two towers rising above the city, each with a little dome on the top of each.  We climbed to the top of one and were treated with a great view of the city below.  From here we continued walking, making our way to the National Theater and another cathedral.  This one was very different than the last, maybe eastern orthodox we thought.  But on the inside we were treated to a performance by the organist of the church as she was I assume brushing up before Friday service.  The sounds in the empty building were echoing and beautiful.

We then walked alongside a river at the edge of the city and on towards the Maximillaneum.  I need to read about it more because we were not allowed inside, but it looked like quite a palace built for the Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian?  I need a stable internet connection!  From here walked through a large park near the edge of the city and then back to the subway where we headed back to the hotel.

On the way to our last night at the festival, we stopped at one more church right next to the grounds.  Here we climbed to the top of its tower, which was quite scary actually as at one point there is a very unstable looking rail separating you and the ground below.  But we got a great view of the festival and were even lucky enough to hear the clock tower bells go off as we were standing right next to them!  A bit scary when they first began, but pretty cool to be so close.

Afterwards we sadly headed to our last night at Oktoberfest where we fought through the rain outside, but met many more friends.  An actor from Munich named Ferdinand, several older people from England, several more Germans, and three americans from Lehigh.  After saying our goodbyes to them and our friends who worked at this tent, we headed back to our hotel to prepare to leave the next day for Barcelona.

Day 5

This was not a day with much activity for us in Munich.  We left for the airport at 11:00 because that is when check out was and since we had so many bags with us, we went straight to the airport and sat for a few hours reading, writing blogs, and watching movies on our computers.  Unfortunately we were charged an outrageous amount of money because our bags were too heavy for this airline’s standards, but our flight was on time and we made it out of Munich safely.  We had a great time while we were there and have already discussed making a comeback in 10 years we hope!