March 31

Got up for breakfast and found the tables full.  Finally got 2 seats together next to a dark-complexioned man and his daughter.  His name was Kassim and he was from Dubai.  He a hotelier and one of his wives was a lawyer, one a doctor.  I think Kassim is set, money-wise.  I assume he is staying here because the neighborhood is Muslim-friendly. The neighborhood around us is full of women in burkas as well as Middle-Easterners in various attire, including Western.  A lot of signage on our particular block is Turkish, but you also see Arabic script on some of the buildings.

Kassim was very friendly and told us he had spent six months in Cincinnati.  I asked why he was there and learned that the little girl next to him has cancer.  She and he are in Munich for a checkup (she has been in remission for 5 years).  When he learned I was a business professor he tried to convince me to come to Dubai.  I would be very well paid, they'd give me a car and an apartment.  It's Muslim but nobody would force that on me.  The legal system and general society are very separate -- he made a big deal out of that.

Move to Dubai.  On the advice of a guy with 2 wives.  That would go over really well in my house.

Englisher Garten

That said, he was a very pleasant man and we had a very pleasant conversation.  Then we excused ourselves and headed out for a real walk.

Slightly north of Marienplatz is OdeonPlatz, just above the Residenz.  And not too far to the Northeast of that is the Englischer Garten, the largest city park in Europe.  As it was sunny and not too cold and Lonely Planet said this was a "must see," that was our destination.

Englisher Garten Beer Hall

Well, we definitely worked off all the heavy German cooking and beer.... probably hoofed it 10 miles round-trip.  In the summer, this is the place for nude sunbathing.  Thankfully, the temperature didn't get above 50 degrees.  It's nice -- not as nice or impressive as Central Park, in my book -- but nice.  Just below it is the Hofgarten, behind the Royal Residence, and that was more impressive to me.

Hofgarten (Theatinerkirsche behind)

Heading southward toward Marienplatz, we passed the Theatinerkirsche, which was not listed in the Lonely Planet but in some ways was the most impressive church we visited... this time, merely by happenstance.  The sculpture within the church is truly breathtaking.

One of the really cool things about this part of the city is that you can't go more than a few blocks without coming across a string quartet (or quintet, or whatever) playing beautiful classical music on the street.  Way cooler than the guy with the beat-up guitar who thinks he's Tom Petty.

Musicians adjacent to Hofgarten

At this point we were pretty spent so got a giant pretzel and a beer (me) and glass of wine (Judy) before heading back to the hotel to call Liz via Skype/ text via Google Voice.  She and son Aaron will be joining us tomorrow and we wanted to send some instructions on how to meet up with us when they arrive at the airport.

Theatinerkirsche

After a break, we headed back out, this time taking a different route and entering the Marienplatz region from the southwest, through the Sendlinger Tor, a gate that looks medieval.  We went by Asam kirsche, which looks plain from the outside but is supposed to be remarkably ornate on the inside... but were too late to get in.  Meandered up through an Italian area (based on all the restaurants) and finally settled on dinner at Paulaner im Tal, another beer hall.  This time, feasted on Schweinebraten, roasted pork with dumplings.  They had an English menu (haven't seen many of those) so we asked for one in German and one in English to try to decipher what we'd ordered before (and figure out what we don't want to order.  I also tried keller bier for the first time (I think).  I had heard of it.  This is beer that has not been filtered or pasteurized, meaning that more of its ingredients are held in suspension.  I don't know if it's normally this good, but this was really good beer.

Then back to the hotel... big (long!) day tomorrow.  Liz & Aaron get to Munich Airport at 8AM.

March 30

Up late, and downstairs for a wonderful complimentary breakfast of fruits, yogurt, coffee, juices, assorted breads and some Middle Eastern treats (olives, cheeses, etc.). 

Yep, I’m definitely going to like it here.

St. Peter's

We decided to walk off our breakfast by trekking to Marienplatz sans subway—this time, with Lonely Planet in hand – and found out that it’s actually closer than the subway station we walked to/from.  The day was overcast and threatening, but the most we got was some misting kind of like Seattle (brother Jon, that’s an east coast definition of “misting,” meaning “not rain”).  We arrived at the Neues Rathaus just in time for the Glockenspiel, which runs only 3 times/day (11:00, 12:00 and 5:00).  Judy got it all on video.  Then started to scope out the neighborhood.

Frauenkirsche

We managed to find the Hofbräuhaus literally just around the corner from where we’d had dinner the night before.  Got a couple of drinks (Bock beer for me, wine for Judy), then visited several churches:  St. Peter’s, the Frauen kirche, and St. Michaels.  All are Catholic, all different orders, and very different styles.  St. Peter’s is incredibly elaborate.  Frauen kirche is remarkably spare, but with soaring arches and really spectacular.  St. Michael’s is getting a face lift and I guess is somewhere in between the other two. 

There's a lot to Marienplatz.  To the west (where we came in) is Karlsplatz, with a medieval-looking (but I'm pretty sure pretty recent) gate.  Heading east, you follow Neuhauser Strasse, which turns into Kauflingerstrasse, which turns into Talstrasse, ending at Isatorplatz (Tor is gate).  Just to the south of Marienplatz is Vikualienmarkt, where you can buy fruits, vegetables, fresh meats, and get a quick snack (or beer).  Just to the north, the Munich Residenz, the largest residential palace in Germany but hardly the most beautiful, at least from the outside (we haven't taken the tour).

St. Michaels

We killed some more time wandering around before going back to the Hofbräuhaus again, this time to try some food. 

Lonely Planet describes the Hofbräuhaus as “the ultimate cliché in Munich beer halls… this could be Disneyland (although the theme park wasn’t once home to Hitler’s early speeches, like this place was”). 

That’s just plain mean.  Yeah, it is cliché.  It’s certainly not Disneyland, including when it comes to service.  But – and trust me, I know – it’s better than Das Festhaus at Busch Gardens.  The oompah band isn’t as polished and there are no buxom dancers, but the beer isn’t Budweiser and the customers are much more diverse and interesting.  I’m not sure the food is that much better than Busch, though.  I got the wurst sampler.  Don’t.  Judy had sauerbraten.  Do.

After dinner we walked around some more, then headed back to the Hotel Goethe, pretty much spent.  It’s supposed to rain tomorrow.  Maybe snow.

March 28--29: Get outta Dodge!!

Neues Rathaus, Marienplatz, Munich

Other than its inauspicious beginnings the night before, the trip was uneventful. We were ready to go in plenty of time, Jan & Orlin delivered us to Norfolk International Airport (THANKS!!), and we had a leisurely lunch before boarding our plane to Chicago, our launching point. That plane was what Paul Farris used to call “a flying sewer pipe:” a small jet with narrow aisles and seats and a low ceiling. The 777-200 that took us to Munich was much nicer, though we didn’t have choice seats (the planes are configured with 2 aisles, with 2 seats next to the wing on either side and 5 seats in the center. We were in the middle of the center seats). But at least we were together and we had nice neighbors. Kind of watched a couple of movies on 5” screens and tried pretty unsuccessfully to sleep.

Glockenspiel in Neues Rathaus

We arrived at Franz Josef Strauss Airport in Munich at 10:00AM on the 29th. It is a lovely airport and the Germans are lovely people for allowing us to enter the country with no paperwork and incredibly minimal bureaucracy. Minimal meaning, once you got your passport stamped, you picked up your luggage and either went through the red exit (if you said you had something to declare for Customs) or the green one (if you didn’t). No stopping. No random checks. Who’d lie?

A very helpful woman at an information kiosk told me where to get train tickets, gave me a map, helped me find the street that our hotel was on, gave a best guess at the nearest subway stop, and told me where to make the transfers. At the train ticket counter, another helpful woman informed us that we could get a day pass for up to 5 people that would take you anywhere on the extensive Munich train, subway and bus system – as many times and as often as you want until 6:00 the next morning – for €20. Then we got on the train, and discovered… nobody checks to see if you have a ticket! There are no gates, no turnstiles. There’s a place where I guess you’re on your honor to stamp the ticket that you were on your honor to buy, so that on your honor you’ll remember when you bought it and buy a new one when it’s time.

Neues Rathaus again

We got off the subway at Goetheplatz and walked up Goethe Strasse to our hotel, the (wait for it…) Hotel Goethe. Big but very cool surprise: a block before the hotel, we enter a predominantly
Turkish neighborhood. Our hotel is run by Turks, the market across the street is Turkish, and the restaurant is “Anatolian.”

I’m going to like it here.

We checked in and our Turkish receptionist gave us a choice of rooms (“104 is larger and has a computer: you can push the beds together. 106 has a double bed “). 106 also faces a nice walled garden the owners have built in the back, while 104 is on the street. We take 106. Our new Turkish friend carries our bags up. He has not asked for a credit card… we’ll settle at the end of our stay.

Altes Rathaus, Marienplatz

After a long nap, we walked back down to the subway station at Goetheplatz (again, nobody checking tickets) and took it to Marienplatz, the heart of Munich. The last (and only) time I was here was in 1973, about this time of year… maybe a month later. We walked around with only my vague notion that it would be cool to have dinner in a big beer hall and I remembered in 1973 we went to the Matthäser (sp?) bier hall and the more famous one was the Hofbräuhaus. We didn’t find either, but did find a little place called Opatja. It specialized in Balkan foods but also had a good assortment of traditional German food, gave generous and very tasty portions, and wasn’t priced more than you’d pay in the U.S. … certainly less than in a cosmopolitan area. Judy got a traditional wienerschnitzel (veal) and I got a turkey wienerschnitzel without breading but with an amazing mushroom sauce. Both came with really great salads that I have to guess are Balkan. I have never had anything like it but hope I do again.

Opatiza Balkan (and other) Restaurant, Marienplatz

Our Republican Presidential candidates have been painting an apocalyptic vision of the future under Obama, in particular accusing him of pushing America into the “failed” European model.
I have to wonder: have Rick, Mitt and Newt ever been to Europe, or specifically Germany? I mean, other than at a Four Seasons? Did they ever step outside?

Sorry for the editorializing. My data is limited, but from what I see, Germany looks pretty well-adjusted, trusting and trustworthy, and if their naiveté concerning the trustworthiness of others has a downside, it doesn’t seem to show up in their economic performance, and unemployment is lower than in the U.S.  And everyone has healthcare.

As we go back into our hotel, I tell our new Turkish friend that my family used to live in Izmir, that they loved their time in Turkey, and that my brother recently took his family back there. He’s glad but seems puzzled. I guess Americans don’t do that…?

March 27: Get outta Dodge…??

Tuesday night: excited but nervous about the trip. Around 10:00, Judy tried to check in electronically and the United Airlines website told us that we were “confirmed” but had no tickets. After over ½ hour listening to Muzak on their help line, we finally got a real person (in India) who was as befuddled as us, since his computer also showed that we had confirmed tickets but no tickets. As we fished around the labyrinth of the United Website, we were also informed that the tickets weren’t paid for, which was funny since we had the payments with dates in plain view on our Visa statement. That turned out to be the key to the kingdom, in the sense that that gave us ticket numbers that our Indian friend could use to correct the glitch in their system. The bad news: we had really crappy seats instead of the great ones Judy had gotten for
us back in mid-February.