Trailing Off....: Munchin' in München

I hadn't heard the term "city break" until I encountered it in several ESL textbooks. Of course, it makes perfect sense. Go to a city, see the main things, get out. Now that we live in "Europe", the choices for city breaks are boundless. Since I've been living in non-Christmas-celebrating countries for the last few years, I got it into my head that I wanted to see some world famous and old Christmas markets. After looking at flight times and costs, we decided on Munich. I checked out the Top Ten Munich book travel book from the library. Top Ten books are great for a city break. It tells the main things you want to see with no messin'. We quickly decided that our 72 hour break would focus on: walking around the old city where the Christmas and food markets are; going to museums; drinking as many different beers as possible; and eating sausages. Munich made it so easy to reach these goals.

drinking hot mulled outside on a chilly afternoon

The Christmas markets of Germany originated in the Middle Ages and are open every day during the Advent weeks. Most of them sell handmade ornaments, gingerbread cakes and ornaments, glass and wood trinkets, and a lot of food and wine. According to wikipedia, the one in Marienplatz in Munich is one of the oldest. While I didn't buy anything at the markets (who needs 50euro ornaments?), I loved the ambiance the markets created throughout the entire old town. Lights strung about everywhere, all the trees decorated, music playing, and the scent of mulled wine and grilled sausages. And most important, everyone was so jolly--tourists and locals alike. There was a current of festive spirit that electrified the place.

Luckily, all the best beer halls and pubs are in walking distance of the markets and other attractions. A beer hall is a splendid thing. A large open space with several long tables so you can drink among new friends; 1 litre steins to build your arm muscles; and a never-ending supply of pretzels and sausages. Not to mention the music accompanying the rowdiness. We spent a bit of time at the most famous beer hall, Hoftbrauhaus. It is the most touristy of them all, but in this case, it is simply because it is the best and most fun.

It is imperative though that one not spend too much time in the Hoftbrauhaus because there are just too many delicious beers to sample and each place only serves one brand of brew. I am so in love with weissbeir now and Paulener is particularly good. To be in a place and be able to actually savour the flavours of so many old recipes was just heavenly.

All the shopping and beer sampling creates quite an appetite. I can't imagine being a vegetarian in Munich. I'm sure it's possible, but it is truly a meat lover's paradise. There are over 40 kinds of bratwurst in Germany and several originated in Bavaria. I never experienced the same flavour twice in either the sausages themselves or their mustardy and krauty plate-mates. I did order a vegetarian snack once-some rye buttered bread with chives, served with local Bavarian cream cheese and salted radishes. Yummo! But the sausages were definitely the star. (Though I must confess the white Munich sausages and the local liver loaf were inedible for me. Weird mouthfeel.)

It would be really gluttonous to eat and drink all day, so museums were on the to see list. Within walking distance of the old town, there is a complex of three museums and I think their translation was something like: Really Old Art, Kind of Old Art, and Modern Art and Design. Near these is a new Egyptian museum, so it was quite a full morning. But well worth the 1 euro Sunday price! My favourite was probably the medium-old stuff. A great collection including some Van Gogh and Klimt. I also loved the design section of the modern museum with an exhibit showing the evolution of the computer design. I wasn't so keen on the huge photograph exhibition by some guy from Canada who takes pictures of random things like saplings bound to a pole. Just as a side note-I think museums should be smaller or only visited a bit at a time. After awhile, my brain could just not handle one more floor to ceiling painting of Jesus surrounded by demons and cherubic babies.

The best museum by far was the Deutsches Museum, which is the largest museum of science and technology in the world. It's on an island in the middle of the river, so a beautiful walk to get there. The building itself, started in 1903, is just beautiful. There are 6 floors of exhibits, including a planetarium, which was closed unfortunately. The biggest exhibit includes airplanes, rockets, and ships. There is an underground exhibit of the history of mining and the experience of walking through it makes you feel as if you are in a mine. Musical instruments, telecommunications, pharmacology, and a very cool reproduction of the Cave of Altimira. That's only a small fraction. It is mind blowing.

one part of the museum right before my camera battery died

Though there were a few bits of snow that fell on the first day we arrived, the weather wasn't too cold and the sunshine allowed for views of the Alps in the distance. Munich has a little over 1 million people and the ease of transport and walking reminds me a lot of Dublin. It was perfect for walking around the city to burn off the beer and sausages before going on for another round. We were able to get to nearly everything on our list. I loved everything I was able to see in the short time, especially the buildings and medieval churches. The city feels old yet revitalized with modern energy. I usually have a bit of cynicism for places that are schmaltzy and superficial for tourists' sake, but Munich felt different than the typical trap. Maybe it was all the beer, but the place seemed to be aglow with genuine bonhomie.