Time to brush up on our "Bitte" (please) "Danke" (thank you) and "Guten Tag" (good day)! This is the first time in about six weeks we will not be defaulting to a broken Italian/English mix. Good thing Becky still has a few German words floating around in her head to help us navigate.
Munich is known for its architecture, castles, food, and the many beer gardens that populate the city. The people who live here, much like all other Europeans, live life outdoors as much as possible. It is much more laid back than Italy, casual dress and lifestyle is prominent. This is a bike riding culture, there are actually lanes marked off on the sidewalk that are bike only. And they do mean
only! We found out the hard way, with a fleet of bikers laying on the bells.
Many of the buildings were heavily damaged during World War II, it's hard to think about the treasures that were lost throughout Germany and Italy. Over the last 60 years, there has been a tremendous effort to rebuild and replace what was destroyed or lost. There are many examples of the Gothic architecture that is a symbol of Munich. The church in the photo below (Frauenkirche), built in 1468, is Munich's best-known symbol (onion domes) and is the largest Gothic basilica in Southern Germany.
The city centers around Marienplatz (the main square where the Glockenspiel is), which is a pedestrian zone, and seems to go for miles lined with shops, restaurants and pubs.
The beer gardens open in the Spring as soon as people will sit outside. Many of the gardens just serve beer, and allow you to bring your own food. We made the pilgrimage to the Hofbrauhaus, the most famous Bavarian pub in the world.
A brass band plays every day, which sets the tone literally. Although the beer is good, the beer gardens are all about the festive atmosphere.
We ordered two
small beers.
Steve
must have spilt his, it was gone in 5 minutes.
The food was just as good, we had a macaroni and cheese type dish (spatzle), about four different types of sausage, and a salad that we somehow "forgot" we had.
Of course we had apple strudel, we had to, we're in Germany!
One of the things that makes Germany so special is a long history of classical music that has originated here. We were treated to an incredible show our first night. These extremely talented sidewalk performers could be on stage at Carnegie Hall.
One thing that you do not get much of in Italy is a good burger. You can imagine how excited that we were to get this one, as big as our heads! Steve finished his!
There is no shortage of cheese in Germany. Yet.
This may be the greatest open air market we have ever seen. Basically, every vegetable you could think of, floating in olive oil.
The fruit was from all over the world, and some of it looked like it may have been from a different planet.
It's a good thing that we were not here during Oktoberfest. Wait a minute, that gives us a good idea...!
Munich is known for its architecture, castles, food, and the many beer gardens that populate the city. The people who live here, much like all other Europeans, live life outdoors as much as possible. It is much more laid back than Italy, casual dress and lifestyle is prominent. This is a bike riding culture, there are actually lanes marked off on the sidewalk that are bike only. And they do mean only! We found out the hard way, with a fleet of bikers laying on the bells.
Many of the buildings were heavily damaged during World War II, it's hard to think about the treasures that were lost throughout Germany and Italy. Over the last 60 years, there has been a tremendous effort to rebuild and replace what was destroyed or lost. There are many examples of the Gothic architecture that is a symbol of Munich. The church in the photo below (Frauenkirche), built in 1468, is Munich's best-known symbol (onion domes) and is the largest Gothic basilica in Southern Germany.
The city centers around Marienplatz (the main square where the Glockenspiel is), which is a pedestrian zone, and seems to go for miles lined with shops, restaurants and pubs.
The beer gardens open in the Spring as soon as people will sit outside. Many of the gardens just serve beer, and allow you to bring your own food. We made the pilgrimage to the Hofbrauhaus, the most famous Bavarian pub in the world. 
A brass band plays every day, which sets the tone literally. Although the beer is good, the beer gardens are all about the festive atmosphere. 
We ordered two small beers. 
Steve must have spilt his, it was gone in 5 minutes. 
The food was just as good, we had a macaroni and cheese type dish (spatzle), about four different types of sausage, and a salad that we somehow "forgot" we had. 
Of course we had apple strudel, we had to, we're in Germany!
One of the things that makes Germany so special is a long history of classical music that has originated here. We were treated to an incredible show our first night. These extremely talented sidewalk performers could be on stage at Carnegie Hall.
One thing that you do not get much of in Italy is a good burger. You can imagine how excited that we were to get this one, as big as our heads! Steve finished his! 
There is no shortage of cheese in Germany. Yet.
This may be the greatest open air market we have ever seen. Basically, every vegetable you could think of, floating in olive oil. 
The fruit was from all over the world, and some of it looked like it may have been from a different planet.
It's a good thing that we were not here during Oktoberfest. Wait a minute, that gives us a good idea...!
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