We took the train to Munich at about 10 am Friday morning, and arrived at our youth hostel in the early afternoon. I'd never stayed in any kind of a youth hostel before, and after this weekend, I definitely want to stay in them again. It's really fascinating; there are literally college-aged students from all over the world staying there. I met people from Argentina, Ireland, and Australia, as well as from other parts of Germany. In the lobby of our hostel, which was appropriately called "Jaeger Hostel," was a bar, where they had cheap prices on all kinds of beer. We spent both nights hanging around the hostel and meeting people, and it was a really good time.
Friday afternoon was spent getting to know the city. We spent a few hours in "Pinakothek Moderne," a very famous museum of modern art, and we also saw Munich's university, where there is a memorial to Hans and Sophie Scholl, who were martyred for their resistance movement against the Nazis in 1943. We took a stroll through the Englischer Garten, (which is as big as Central Park!) and ended up having dinner at Pauliner München, a quaint restaurant right in the city that serves authentic Bavarian cuisine. Of course, we snagged a table at the Hofbrauhaus later that evening, and spent a good deal of time there. Hofbrauhaus is reported to be the most widely attended and popular brewery/bar in the world!
Saturday morning came early, and we spent the morning touring a few churches, including Sankt Peter's Kirche, where we climbed 14 stories to see the breathtaking view of downtown München. The climb was intense; almost completely one-way spiral staircases, and definitely not for the claustrophobic. The church was built almost 1000 years ago, before the start of the First Crusade, and I think we were all a little afraid it was going to collapse while we were up there. Luckily it didn't. Also in downtown München was the Glockenspiel: an entertaining little "cuckoo clock" type performance with harmonic chimes and life-size wax figurines that acts out a little play several times each day, lasting about ten minutes. It kind of reminded me of "It's a Small World" at Disneyland, only better. The Glockenspiel is located outside the courthouse building in Marienplatz, which is one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever seen in my life. (Pictures are on Facebook.) A lot of the buildings in Munich are Baroque, built sometime during the 1600's, and the architecture is definitely elaborate.
After our church tours, we had the rest of the day free. We ended up checking out an antique toy museum, as well as going to the Augustiner Biergarten that evening. A bunch of us bought bratwurst and potato pancakes at an open market in the heart of the city and they were AMAZING! We just don't have meat in the States like they do over here. Even the pre-packaged salami I buy at the grocery store is very delicious.
Sunday we were all very tired, as it was a fun, but late night in the hostel lobby. We left all of our luggage in lockers at the Hauptbahnhof (train station) and boarded a bus to the outskirts of the city, to tour the Schloss Nymphenburg (Nymphenburg Castle). It was very scenic; the site of Bavarian kings during the 16 and 1700's. The grounds were of course nicely decorated and we saw some very pretty furniture that belonged to Ludwigs I and II and their wives. I somewhat regret asking for my Audio Guide to be in German. Although I could understand a great deal, some of the words were definitely out of my vocab range, and I would have much more to say about the castle had I listened to it in English. When I go to sites like these, I am extremely interested in every little detail. I am a big enthusiast of both medieval and baroque royal history. Ah, well. It was a very nice trip.
I really enjoyed München. I like it because of its size and its cultural flair. It truly is the prototype of a Bavarian town. When one thinks of visiting Germany, they think of sweeping baroque architecture, quaint Black Forest traditions like schweinsaxe, knödeln, and kraut, and sloshing beer around at the Hofbrauhaus. It brought me back to thinking about what my ancestors' lives were like, living in Bavaria during the 1700's. Yet, now that I'm back in Salzburg, a place that I'm beginning to think of as home, I'm glad that I'm living here. Salzburg is a much quieter Alpine city, free from the hustle and bustling distraction that comes with any larger metropolis like Munich. I love this pretty little town and was relieved to pull into its train station yesterday evening. After coming "home," Zach B, Laura, Bethany, Patrick, and I attended Easter mass at a Franciscan cathedral in the Altstadt.
I have to go scrounge up something to eat in the kitchen. Since the grocery stores are all closed today, we're running low on food. The bread here doesn't stay fresh for more than three days because it doesn't contain any preservatives. More tomorrow!
Munich... wow... you're going all over the place! I'm very jealous that you got to stay in a hostel and meet international students from all over the world. Very cool. Munich sounds very exciting, with a lot of that cultural flair plus the face-paced feel of a bustling city. I'm glad you had fun! And I'm glad Salzburg is starting to feel like home to you... don't forget about your Ohio home, though! haha
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