I arrived in Munich on a train from Zurich, Switzerland at about 5:30 pm, purchased a night train pass to Berlin for the following evening, and then found my way to Wombat's hostel, which was a very convenient three minute walk from the train station. The hostel was a nice place--a good atmosphere and I had a comfortable room.
After getting my things settled into my room, I headed out in search of cheap and somewhat light food for dinner. After searching for a bit, I caved and ended up getting a Subway sandwich. Not very exciting, but it was the most picturesque Subway sandwich I have ever purchased. The rest of the evening was spent planning for my trips to Norway and Scotland. I also got to know my roommates a bit who were all Americans teaching English in Spain who were on a weekend holiday. They were pretty nice. One of them had been to Minnesota for camping and hiking, which was fun to talk about with her.
The next morning, I got packed, checked my email, had breakfast at the hostel, put my things in a locker and then headed out. At 10:15 am, I met up with a tour group to go and explore the Dachau Concentration Camp led by Gordon Hogan. It was an incredible experience, about which you can learn more by reading my "Dachau Concentration Camp" blog entry.
During the tour, I made friends with a girl named CJ from South Africa who was also on holiday in Munich. When we returned from Dachau, she and I explored a bit of Munich together. We wandered from the train station down to the Marienplatz area, Munich's central square and a popular tourist area with lots of shops and restaurants, churches, street performers and people. It was a very busy place. Also in this area, not to be missed, was the infamous Glockenspiel, which every day at certain hours chimes and re-enacts two stories from the 16th century with figurines dancing and jausting. CJ and I were fortunate enough to be there for the spectacle and, among many other spectators, enjoyed the show.
GlockenspielAfter getting our fill of the Marienplatz, CJ and I wandered a bit more exploring Munich. There were some interesting pieces of architecture along the way; however, as it was starting to get dark and our tummies were beginning to grumble, we were in search of a beer hall--for which Munich and Bavaria, the area of Germany in which Munich is located, are famous (Sidenote: Munich is the city in which Oktoberfest is held every year). After grappling with a 'user-unfriendly' map, we finally found the Hofbräuhaus-a brewery and beer hall full of people, large portions of German food, a live polka band dressed to suit, and, of course, Mass-es of beer.
Hofbrauhaus--a famous beer hall in MunichCJ and I eventually found a table--it is a very large building with lots of seating, but also lots of people, so it was hard to find vacant seats. Our waitress, dressed in traditional German costume brought us menus and served us well, though with how busy it was we had to be patient.
CJ and I each ordered a beer, which comes in a large glass mug called a Mass. For dinner, I ordered Bavarian meat loaf and potato salad, accompanied by some apple streusel for dessert. The meatloaf, which I mistakenly thought would be ground beef, looked more like a large slice of American SPAM, though the taste was a bit better. The potatoes were like chunky mashed potatoes with a slight vinegar-like tartness to them. The apple streusel was kind of bland and, honestly, a bit disappointing. So, though it was a well prepared meal, it did not quite fit my taste as a good one.
Though the meal was not the greatest, the atmosphere and the company with whom I spent the evening was lots of fun. Because the house was so full and the tables so big, CJ and I ended up sharing our table with a few Bavarian gentlemen who sat down next to us. They were probably about thirty-something and late forty-something. They were very kind and friendly and we spent the rest of our evening there chatting with these two. I talked mostly to Wolfgang, the older gentleman, who thought it was pretty cool that I was from Minnesota. I also told him that I had ancestors from Germany, but when I told him which part, he thought it was a boring area of Germany--so maybe that's why they left. Ha ha.
As the evening went on, I sat and enjoyed the beer, the live music pumping polka just an arms stretch away from where we were sitting, and good company, and soaked in the Bavarian culture around the hall. It was a very fun experience. Wolfgang gave me his contact information and told me that if I ever make it to Oktoberfest, that I should let him know so he can help arrange a spot for camping. It was a kind offer.
CJ and I said good bye to our new friends and headed back towards the hostel. I had a night train to catch, so I said goodbye to CJ, retrieved my things from the hostel, and went to the station to wait for my night train that would take me to Malmo and then Stockholm, Sweden before continuing on my way to Tromso, Norway.
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