more from Munich

As promised (and maybe a little later than I anticipated) here is a little summary of my time in Munich while I wasn't at Oktoberfest. Munich is an incredibly beautiful and historic city and I really hope to return there soon to better appreciate all of the museums and outlying historic sites. However, I was quite content to see whatever was pretty centrally located and within walking-distance. My motto is generally walking is better than getting somewhere quickly (I can't even tell you how many cool things I have seen by walking from place to place and occasionally getting lost along the way!) So, here are a few pictures that exemplify my Munich experience...

These two pictures are of the city hall (Rathaus) on Marianplatz, one of the main squares in Munich city center. This ancient building is home of one of the most famous Glockenspiels in the world - during the summer it runs 4 times a day and in the winter, only 3 times per day. So of course when Amy and I went to see the elaborate movements of this clock, the square was crowded with hundreds of tourists. The crowds and the wait were well worth it, though - the figures move for a good 15 minutes and the bells continue chiming different tunes long after that (we were too hungry to wait around for too long!) The highlight I think was the joust that the figures execute. First, they just go around and Amy turned to me and said "wouldn't it be great if they like really jousted and one of them won?" then, what do you know? The next time around the blue knight dealt the red one a powerful blow, knocking him onto his back! (to thunderous applause...well, kinda)

Also, just off of this central square is the Frauenkirche or "Church of our Lady" of Munich - a beautiful church. Unfortunately we couldn't go up to the top of the towers because it was closed every time we were there. 

After a lovely morning walking around town, we stopped in to see the historic Hofbräuhaus to see one of the most famous beer halls in Munich (a city known for Beer Halls, and birthplace of Biergartens...a fabulous German tradition) It was so lovely and we were so hungry, we decided to eat there - a decision that cost us further sightseeing opportunties but was well worth the time spent experiencing the Bierhall culture. The band was fabulous and everyone was so friendly - I love this communal style of eating. People just sit down and strike up a conversation with complete strangers, talk about life over a beer and good food, then continue on their way.
Here you can see our accidental find of Gartenplatz - a beautiful square with cute shops all around. Just on the other side of this square was a fabulous cafe that served 32 different kinds of hot chocolate. Walking through this part of town, I felt like I was in the Munich that real Müncheners experience...it was a little off the beaten tourist path. 

In all, Munich was beautiful and a truly wonderful experience. I was struck by the beauty of the city no matter where we went. Most windows had flowerboxes overflowing with geraniums and the integration of green space and beautiful architecture. I appreciate the use of trees and greenery throughout many of the cities I have visited in Germany - it adds an air of cleanliness and romance to cities I think. Anyway, the train ride back was a bit of a disaster, about an hour standing in a crowded car, 45 minutes sitting on hard steps, and an unexplained 1/2 hour delay that turned our trip into a 6 hour ordeal...oh well. In all, it was worth every minute! For now, I'll wrap up this post. Love to you, my faithful readers...more to come!