Ein paar Tage bei München, Bayern (A few days in Munich, Bavaria)

After a sleepless nine hours, followed by a four-hour layover, and a quick Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt, our Airbus finally slipped below the fluffy, white winter clouds. Flying over northern Bavaria, I saw dozens of villages, each one a cluster of wide, white buildings with red roofs, most having one or two steepled churches and a soccer field planted next to a wide building, presumably a gymnasium, a secondary school. 

The plane came to a steep decent in the slate-colored winter sky, and landed roughly, coming to an abrupt deceleration on the short runway. We were in Munich, at last. 

I've been learning German for five years, and it's always been something I only pulled out at school or while studying at home. It's always been somewhat intangible, like a secret tongue which I only really used when talking with my brother about things we didn't want others to know! It's never been a real language from a real place. 

Yet now, I'm fortunate that I am in Germany, the birthplace of the language I've been studying for years and dying to put to use. 

It's exciting that I can use this skill for practical communication. Although most of the people I've encountered in the service industry speak perfect English, if I switch to German, I'm proud that I can actually communicate.

Munich, Bavaria

The first evening in Munich, we checked into our hotel on Isator Platz, just east of the city center, Marienplatz.

I waked with my father from our hotel to the Marienplatz. Nearly each and every building was in the traditional Bavarian style; none taller than six stories, and each a different color, with sloping roofs and small windows. We passed the new Rathouse on Marienplatz, the site of the famous Glockenspiel clock. We walked along the pedestrian roads of the inner city, and peeked inside the Frauenkirche Church, although had to leave, as evening mass was about to start. 

The first evening, we ate at a traditional Bavarian restaurant, where I had my first wienerschnitzel in Germany. 

The following day after breakfast, we used Rick Steve's walking tour of Munich, which took us around the major sites of the city in the crisp morning air.

1. Marienplatz (the center of Munich, a square facing the New Rathaus)

Marienplatz

In front of the New Rathaus

meine Eltern in der Strasse

2. St. Peter's Church (which has a bell tower that we climbed to get a breath-taking view of the city. We saw the glockenspiel play one of its thrice daily shows down below from the bell tower's outdoor platform.)

The view from the top of St. Peter's bell tower (3 euros)

We accidentally timed our accent and arrival at the top of the bell tower perfectly - we had a great view of Munich's famous glockenspiel's noon performance. Wooden riders jousted and wooden dancers pranced around a proud king and queen- all on pre-Industrial cog and wheel technology.

3. Viktuellenmarkt (a daily open-air market selling fruit, vegetable, souvenirs, and decorations.) We sampled out first eis, German icecream, even though it was a brisk 37 degrees Fahrenheit. I also was able to talk to a few of the farmers selling their fresh, local produce, as it was not a busy day.

4. The Jewish Synagogue on Jakob's Platz. I don't know much about this synagogue, other than its renown for its modern architecture. All synagogues in Munich are still protected by armed guards around the clock.

5. Asam Church (a tiny 30 foot wide Rococo church built in 1740 by brother architects, who wanted to show off a sample of their architecture an interior design to potential customers. The gaudy sanctuary still holds Mass.)

6. Frauenkirche. (Munich's most famous Roman Catholic Church. It is plainer and less ornate than St. Peter's, and due to this seems more genuine. We paid 80 euro cents to light a candle for the Virgin Mary, and left to find lunch.



We spent a lot of time exploring Munich's thin, winding cobblestone street, each having different examples of Munich's eclectic, classic architecture.  

In the afternoon, we rode Munich's U-Bahn subway to Olympiapark, the old Olympic stadium from the 1972. From there we went to BMW Welt, Bavarian Motor Work's premier showroom.

I am a big car fan, and could have spent all day looking at the BMW, Rolls Royce, and Mini Cooper models.

a matte-finished luxury model only available in the EU

The electric i series hatchback

I have no idea what these little guys are... Note: you enter the three-wheeled car from the front, and the engine is in the back

We then walked to the Olympic park, and saw its former glory. It has many stadiums, once very modern, although many are today unused and are left uncared for. We climbed be Olympiaberg for a scenic lookout of the city and Olympic stadiums.

Due to newer stadiums built for the World Cup and Bundesliga teams, the Olympic Park is no longer cared for as it should be.

from the Berg

I am loving Munich so far, and cannot wait to see more of this beautiful country. As I write, we ride a two-hour train to Füssen, the site of the fairytale castle, Neutschwansten.

Stay tuned for updates!