The buffet breakfast at the hotel was probably the best breakfast of our trip. They had so many choices, the staff was attentive to our need for coffee, we had our own pot of coffee, and so many types of bread and jam.
This time we had the Euros necessary to purchase our tickets to downtown, and the trip was just fine. We did see lots of people in their costumes, likely headed to Oktoberfest which was still going on. When we got off the train and walked out of the Marienplatz station, we were in front of the most touristy spot in all of Munich.
Quite impressive company we have: Kiev, Harare (capital of Zimbabwe), Sapporo, Bordeaux, Edinburgh, Verona. It's a list of possible future destinations for us.
We went back out to the platz in time for the Glockenspiel, whose 43 bells play a 15-minute carillon.
During the music, on the top, the 32 figures act out festivities from the marriage of a duke from 1568. Then, 15 figures on the bottom do the Coopers' Dance, first performed in 1517 to avert the plague. It was pretty cool to watch.
We then embarked on our walking tour. We walked northward to Max Josef Platz, which was across from the National Theater. Its namesake statue is of Bavaria's first king. We continued north alongside the Residenz, the Wittelsbach dynasty's palace dating from 1385. This family continued to rule Bavaria right up until WWI, and included our infamous mad Ludwig II. We did not tour this, but continued on to...
We walked over to Karlsplatz, which is on the rim of what used to be the walled city.
My sister Janet had recommended the City Museum, especially for its puppets and musical instruments. So, we next went there. We spent too much time on the first two floors in the Typically Munich exhibit, but finally made it to the upper floors for the best stuff. Yes, the musical instruments were fascinating, but mostly the puppet exhibits we enjoyed. Eerie sometimes, weird some of them, amazing how they'd put on full theater using them instead of actors.
It was after the museum that we went to the Paulaner Bier Hall for lunch. I ordered a full maß, but I had to ask why they served it in a Hacker-Pschoor mug. Our waiter, a funny guy actually, said that Paulaner owns Hacker-Pschoor. He also told us it was founded in 1450, and that Spöckmeier was simply the name of the new owner back in 1520. As we departed, we got to see their Weißwurst parlor, dedicated to that famous sausage that is supposed to be eaten only prior to noontime.
Had to at least visit briefly my old haunt, the Hofbräuhaus!
We then embarked on our walking tour. We walked northward to Max Josef Platz, which was across from the National Theater. Its namesake statue is of Bavaria's first king. We continued north alongside the Residenz, the Wittelsbach dynasty's palace dating from 1385. This family continued to rule Bavaria right up until WWI, and included our infamous mad Ludwig II. We did not tour this, but continued on to...
...the platz in front of Theatinerkirche (1688), where most of the Wittelsbach family is buried. Janet and I went in, and as usual, it was unbelievably elaborate.
We walked over to Karlsplatz, which is on the rim of what used to be the walled city.
Behind this fountain is one of the 14th-century city gates, called Karlstor, there in the background. Once we walked through it, we were on Neuhauser Strasse, one of the old main streets leading back to the Marienplatz center. It was filled with shops, churches, fountains, and the Augustiner Bräu restaurant. We went into Michael's church (1583), which is famous for having the second widest vault in all of Europe, next to St. Peter's in the Vatican.
Here's another view of Neuhauser Strasse looking back at Karlstor. We also visited the Munich Cathedral, Frauenkirche, whose twin domes are a symbol of the city.We spent time walking its perimeter, and gazing at the large tomb of Kaiser Ludwig the Bavarian, who died in 1347 but whose tomb was completed 300 years later.
My sister Janet had recommended the City Museum, especially for its puppets and musical instruments. So, we next went there. We spent too much time on the first two floors in the Typically Munich exhibit, but finally made it to the upper floors for the best stuff. Yes, the musical instruments were fascinating, but mostly the puppet exhibits we enjoyed. Eerie sometimes, weird some of them, amazing how they'd put on full theater using them instead of actors.
It was after the museum that we went to the Paulaner Bier Hall for lunch. I ordered a full maß, but I had to ask why they served it in a Hacker-Pschoor mug. Our waiter, a funny guy actually, said that Paulaner owns Hacker-Pschoor. He also told us it was founded in 1450, and that Spöckmeier was simply the name of the new owner back in 1520. As we departed, we got to see their Weißwurst parlor, dedicated to that famous sausage that is supposed to be eaten only prior to noontime.
Had to at least visit briefly my old haunt, the Hofbräuhaus!
After all that beer at lunch, I was not interested in drinking, but I just wanted to return to see it. Its history is interesting: Started in 1589 when Duke Wilhelm V disliked the local beer (really? He didn't like Augustiner, Paulaner, or Spaten?), and ordered that a bock beer be specially brewed for the court.
Here is the band, but they were on a break. This entire place is really like the beer tents at Oktoberfest. Our tour book said it is so touristy that locals tend to drink elsewhere. Their gift shop sure did have tons of souvenirs.
Outside again, we visited a gift shop and finally bought our cow bell!
We passed through an open market place just off the center square called ViktualienMarkt, and we marveled at all the sausages, meats, confections, breads, and gifts. We headed toward the south of the old city and came to Asamkirche.
Outside again, we visited a gift shop and finally bought our cow bell!
We passed through an open market place just off the center square called ViktualienMarkt, and we marveled at all the sausages, meats, confections, breads, and gifts. We headed toward the south of the old city and came to Asamkirche.
That's the church on the right, and Asam Haus on the left, where the two Asam brothers lived. They built the church as a private chapel in 1733, but the citizens liked it so much the Asams let them use it as a parish church.
On this trip we had visited numerous opulent churches, but this one took the cake. Just unbelievably lavish. It was noted for having the portraits of the Asam brothers on either side of the alter, and you can see one of them just above Janet's head in an oval frame. It took a whole page of our tour book to describe this "glorious rococo" chapel.
We continued south to another of the original walled town gates, this one called Sendlinger Tor. This concluded all the sites we had wanted to see, but I got the brilliant idea to have one final Munich beer to cap our Bavarian vacation. We had not yet had Spaten beer, so we marched off to the city center where I had thought I remembered a Spaten beer hall. We didn't see it, so we asked and it was way far away. So, we decided to return to Hofbräuhaus!
By now the beer hall was very crowded, and we barely could find a place to sit. The band was playing, and it felt like Wiesn again.
By now the beer hall was very crowded, and we barely could find a place to sit. The band was playing, and it felt like Wiesn again.
We sat with this fun Swiss couple who were on internships in Munich. The funniest story was that I tried to order a ½ liter, but they don't offer it (unless you want a Weißbeir)!! The only lager on the menu to drink is a maß! Talk about a drunk-inducing policy! Ah but what the heck, I had a maß (my "training" after three weeks was in high gear).
Down the hatch. I kept hoping the band would play the Hofbräuhaus song since I knew the lyrics, but they didn't. I laughed that the WC had 25 urinals.
After this final fling, we walked to the southeast to another of the 14th-century city gates, Isartor, to catch our train back to Neufahrn. Once back, we hoped that our car would not have a ticket on it, and it didn't! Back at the hotel, we had to park off in a neighborhood again, but I kept an eye out and when a spot opened right in front, Janet stood there guarding it while I ran off and got the car. We spent most of the evening packing, and deciding what we would discard so that our treasures could all fit in our suitcases and bags. What a wonderful trip this has been!
After this final fling, we walked to the southeast to another of the 14th-century city gates, Isartor, to catch our train back to Neufahrn. Once back, we hoped that our car would not have a ticket on it, and it didn't! Back at the hotel, we had to park off in a neighborhood again, but I kept an eye out and when a spot opened right in front, Janet stood there guarding it while I ran off and got the car. We spent most of the evening packing, and deciding what we would discard so that our treasures could all fit in our suitcases and bags. What a wonderful trip this has been!
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