July 2009
Days eight and nine: Munich
Returning our car to the Europcar office at the train station was about what we'd
expected--confusing. The instructions aren't too clear, and we did a bit of driving in
circles, eventually leaving it in the parking garage for Europcar to deal with.
We didn't have much of an agenda for Munich, but it was certainly not an afterthought on
this trip. It was a city we’d enjoyed previously, and we enjoyed it even more this time by
just wandering at our own pace. Even though we ran into more traffic than expected on
the drive from Munich to Italy, we do think this makes as good a gateway as any for a trip
to the Dolomites (among the non-stop flight options from the US, that is). The drive is
just about all on the autobahn/autostrada and pretty straightforward.
Our home for the last two nights in Munich was the Courtyard (by Marriott) Munich City
Center. This is not the type of hotel we usually choose; we typically go for smaller, more
independent types. But, on this trip, we had three specific needs: walking distance to
the historic city center, very close to the central train station where we would both drop
off our car and later depart for the airport (proximity became even more important when
Marisa's bag broke), and air conditioning (we've been in this area in late July before,
when it was not as pleasant as it was this time).
The hotel, in general, has very good reviews, and we’ll be happy to add ours to that list.
The room was nicely appointed and comfortable, and everything seemed relatively new.
The included breakfast buffet was substantial, although we did have to pay extra for the
third person. Most notable, though, was the service. The front desk staff could not have
been more pleasant and helpful—particularly going out of the way to track down duct
tape for the broken bag on a Sunday (even after an engineer’s initial search indicated
there wasn't any in the hotel). It’s in an eclectic but safe neighborhood and, as noted,
very convenient.
Our first day in Munich was an odd one, weather-wise, lurching back and forth between
beautiful sunshine and colossal rainstorms. We weathered one such storm at an
outside table of a popular café/restaurant about a block off the Marienplatz, squeezing
together at one end of the table to take full advantage of the umbrella coverage while
locals and visitors alike scurried for cover.
Allie found a store that carried uber-fashionable shoes for teens, and found the perfect
pair of Converse ballet flats (!) that would make her the envy of her school.
Unfortunately, when we got them back to the hotel, we found that the box contained two
right shoes, in unequal sizes. Allie and Chris returned them right away, and the store
was extremely apologetic, but we’d hate to think about the disappointment that would
have ensued if we hadn't discovered the error until we returned home!
At some point in the early evening, we happened upon a small wine festival taking place
in the courtyard of the old palace just north of the Rathaus (the picturesque town hall in
the center of the old city), with different local vineyards vending their wares in tents
surrounding long communal tables. We stopped for a quick glass of Sylvaner and to
listen to a decent jazz combo. We finished up the day with some picture-taking around
the Neue Rathaus and the Frauenkirche (cathedral), and tasty dinner at a casual Thai
restaurant before calling it an early evening.
Our last day of the trip was an enjoyable one. The weather was nice and sunny, but not
too hot, which allowed for easy walking and photo-taking. After a good hearty breakfast
buffet at the hotel, we headed for the pedestrianized “old town” just to the south of the
Marienplatz. Our first stop was the bell tower at the Michaelskirche, which rises a few
hundred feet in the air and provides an exceptional vantage point to the city. We highly
recommend this… but only if you’re in decent shape (that’s a lot of stairs!) and have no
claustrophobia problems (narrow stairway!). We all loved the breathtaking views,
although Marisa suffered from some wobbly knees and sweaty palms at the top!
After slowly climbing back down and rehydrating, we meandered our way in the direction
of the Hofgarten and Englisher Garten. We paused briefly to listen to a few songs from a
violin virtuoso plying his trade in the covered gazebo in the center of the Hofgarten,
before heading to the Archeological Museum at the south end of the Englisher Garten.
Allie was especially keen on visiting this place, but we all enjoyed it… especially the
special exhibit of treasures from Pompeii, Hurculaneum and Stabiae, on loan from the
fabulous museum in Naples that we enjoyed so much four years ago.
Afterward, we strolled back the same way we came, encountering a few surfer-dudes in
wetsuits “surfing” the rapids in a nearby stream on boogie-boards. By the time we
reached the Hofgarten again, we were ready for a light lunch at a wonderfully inviting
outdoor lunch spot beneath some trees on the western edge of the park. Honestly, we
could have stayed there the rest of the day, but we still had things to do and see.
Next on our list was the Viktualien Markt (food market)… but we were surprised to learn
that it was closed on Sunday! We slowly made our way back in the direction of the
Marienplatz again. Allie and Marisa decided to return to the hotel for a mid-afternoon
nap, while Chris stayed out and about to take full advantage of the beautiful day. He
stopped inside the Peterskirche, which was undergoing significant renovation on the
outside, but was perfectly gorgeous on the inside. Also perfectly gorgeous was the half-
liter of fresh, cold beer he enjoyed at the original Augustiner pub, just across the street.
A great place to soak in the atmosphere and people-watch!
The last dinner of our trip was at a traditional Bavarian restaurant/pub in the old part of
town, called the Loewen-something or other. Chris looked over the extensive menu, and
ordered the Loewen-Platte… which consisted of two marinated pork chops, hand-sliced
bacon, wienerwurst, a large potato pancake, fried potatoes, a hard roll with herbed
butter, and a good-size salad. Plus another half-liter of local beer. Considering that he
no longer possesses a gall bladder, he did rather well in nearly finishing the whole
thing. Marisa and Allie were a little less enthusiastic with their meal choices.
Today's photos
Next: Wrap up-Weather, packing and useful resources
All of our trip photos
Home
Returning our car to the Europcar office at the train station was about what we'd
expected--confusing. The instructions aren't too clear, and we did a bit of driving in
circles, eventually leaving it in the parking garage for Europcar to deal with.
We didn't have much of an agenda for Munich, but it was certainly not an afterthought on
this trip. It was a city we’d enjoyed previously, and we enjoyed it even more this time by
just wandering at our own pace. Even though we ran into more traffic than expected on
the drive from Munich to Italy, we do think this makes as good a gateway as any for a trip
to the Dolomites (among the non-stop flight options from the US, that is). The drive is
just about all on the autobahn/autostrada and pretty straightforward.
Our home for the last two nights in Munich was the Courtyard (by Marriott) Munich City
Center. This is not the type of hotel we usually choose; we typically go for smaller, more
independent types. But, on this trip, we had three specific needs: walking distance to
the historic city center, very close to the central train station where we would both drop
off our car and later depart for the airport (proximity became even more important when
Marisa's bag broke), and air conditioning (we've been in this area in late July before,
when it was not as pleasant as it was this time).
The hotel, in general, has very good reviews, and we’ll be happy to add ours to that list.
The room was nicely appointed and comfortable, and everything seemed relatively new.
The included breakfast buffet was substantial, although we did have to pay extra for the
third person. Most notable, though, was the service. The front desk staff could not have
been more pleasant and helpful—particularly going out of the way to track down duct
tape for the broken bag on a Sunday (even after an engineer’s initial search indicated
there wasn't any in the hotel). It’s in an eclectic but safe neighborhood and, as noted,
very convenient.
Our first day in Munich was an odd one, weather-wise, lurching back and forth between
beautiful sunshine and colossal rainstorms. We weathered one such storm at an
outside table of a popular café/restaurant about a block off the Marienplatz, squeezing
together at one end of the table to take full advantage of the umbrella coverage while
locals and visitors alike scurried for cover.
Allie found a store that carried uber-fashionable shoes for teens, and found the perfect
pair of Converse ballet flats (!) that would make her the envy of her school.
Unfortunately, when we got them back to the hotel, we found that the box contained two
right shoes, in unequal sizes. Allie and Chris returned them right away, and the store
was extremely apologetic, but we’d hate to think about the disappointment that would
have ensued if we hadn't discovered the error until we returned home!
At some point in the early evening, we happened upon a small wine festival taking place
in the courtyard of the old palace just north of the Rathaus (the picturesque town hall in
the center of the old city), with different local vineyards vending their wares in tents
surrounding long communal tables. We stopped for a quick glass of Sylvaner and to
listen to a decent jazz combo. We finished up the day with some picture-taking around
the Neue Rathaus and the Frauenkirche (cathedral), and tasty dinner at a casual Thai
restaurant before calling it an early evening.
Our last day of the trip was an enjoyable one. The weather was nice and sunny, but not
too hot, which allowed for easy walking and photo-taking. After a good hearty breakfast
buffet at the hotel, we headed for the pedestrianized “old town” just to the south of the
Marienplatz. Our first stop was the bell tower at the Michaelskirche, which rises a few
hundred feet in the air and provides an exceptional vantage point to the city. We highly
recommend this… but only if you’re in decent shape (that’s a lot of stairs!) and have no
claustrophobia problems (narrow stairway!). We all loved the breathtaking views,
although Marisa suffered from some wobbly knees and sweaty palms at the top!
After slowly climbing back down and rehydrating, we meandered our way in the direction
of the Hofgarten and Englisher Garten. We paused briefly to listen to a few songs from a
violin virtuoso plying his trade in the covered gazebo in the center of the Hofgarten,
before heading to the Archeological Museum at the south end of the Englisher Garten.
Allie was especially keen on visiting this place, but we all enjoyed it… especially the
special exhibit of treasures from Pompeii, Hurculaneum and Stabiae, on loan from the
fabulous museum in Naples that we enjoyed so much four years ago.
Afterward, we strolled back the same way we came, encountering a few surfer-dudes in
wetsuits “surfing” the rapids in a nearby stream on boogie-boards. By the time we
reached the Hofgarten again, we were ready for a light lunch at a wonderfully inviting
outdoor lunch spot beneath some trees on the western edge of the park. Honestly, we
could have stayed there the rest of the day, but we still had things to do and see.
Next on our list was the Viktualien Markt (food market)… but we were surprised to learn
that it was closed on Sunday! We slowly made our way back in the direction of the
Marienplatz again. Allie and Marisa decided to return to the hotel for a mid-afternoon
nap, while Chris stayed out and about to take full advantage of the beautiful day. He
stopped inside the Peterskirche, which was undergoing significant renovation on the
outside, but was perfectly gorgeous on the inside. Also perfectly gorgeous was the half-
liter of fresh, cold beer he enjoyed at the original Augustiner pub, just across the street.
A great place to soak in the atmosphere and people-watch!
The last dinner of our trip was at a traditional Bavarian restaurant/pub in the old part of
town, called the Loewen-something or other. Chris looked over the extensive menu, and
ordered the Loewen-Platte… which consisted of two marinated pork chops, hand-sliced
bacon, wienerwurst, a large potato pancake, fried potatoes, a hard roll with herbed
butter, and a good-size salad. Plus another half-liter of local beer. Considering that he
no longer possesses a gall bladder, he did rather well in nearly finishing the whole
thing. Marisa and Allie were a little less enthusiastic with their meal choices.
Today's photos
Next: Wrap up-Weather, packing and useful resources
All of our trip photos
Home
Climb Every Mountain:
Our long-awaited trip to the
Dolomites...and Munich
Our long-awaited trip to the
Dolomites...and Munich
Overview: Plenty of options, but where to stay?
Overview: Hiking in the Val Gardena
Day 1: Stau!
Day 2: This is why we wanted to visit!
Day 3: Sprechen zie...speck?
Day 4: Bolzano, Merano and a date with Ötzi
Day 5: The flying telephone booths
Day 6: I love a parade
Day 7: One little victory
Days 8-9: Munich
Wrap up: Weather, packing; useful resources
Wrap up: Food, language and final thoughts
Home
Overview: Hiking in the Val Gardena
Day 1: Stau!
Day 2: This is why we wanted to visit!
Day 3: Sprechen zie...speck?
Day 4: Bolzano, Merano and a date with Ötzi
Day 5: The flying telephone booths
Day 6: I love a parade
Day 7: One little victory
Days 8-9: Munich
Wrap up: Weather, packing; useful resources
Wrap up: Food, language and final thoughts
Home