Munich, Germany....

Got into Germany at the crack of dawn on the bus, it was freezing and we had nowhere to go until the trains started. So we holed up in a little, heated, portable site shed at the train station, slept on the benches for a while until the sun came up and we could get into town.

We were staying with Dave Ando, but he was at work and we wouldn't meet him until the arvo, so we had some breakfast and hung around the city center for the day.

Marienplatz, the main town square. They were in the process of putting up a huge christmas tree and setting up for the legendary Munich christmas markets.

On Dave's recommendation, we spent the arvo at the Viktualienmarkt - a market with produce, hot food, christmas stuff, beer and loads of other good stuff.


Viktualienmarkt. Angie bought one of these cristmas spice wreath things and we lugged it all the way to NYC.


Local getting his Christmas gear.

So much christmassy stuff, Mum, you wouldve loved it. All different kinds of tree branches and wreaths, berries and spices, ornaments and decorations and all sorts of stuff. Bavarians are VERY serious about christmas.



Dave's place was really close to Marienplatz so we walked through there every day which was brilliant. This is a few days later, you can see the tree is up and decorated.


Spent an afternoon in Englischer Garten. Freezing cold, but really nice.

Eine breze bitte was about all the German I learned, because we used it every day.
This is in the Englischer Garten.



The park is massive, like a whole suburb of its own. We explored a very small part. Was a bit too cold to keep walking around all day.

Heaps of random interesting buildings and things to see, here are a selecetion...

Odeonplatz, the site of the conflict during the Beer Hall Putsch. This is where Hitler was arrested and sentenced to prison at his first serious attempt to take power.

Church



Asamkirche. A church just around the corner from Dave's. Amazing interior.

Jewish museum, Munich. Looks amazing at night.


Marienplatz by night.


DACHAU

We planned to spend a day at Dachau, the site of a former concentration camp in WW2 which was a short trip from Munich.

Dachau was one of the most feared concentration camps in Nazi Germany. It was opened in 1933 and became a prototype for future camps.

"Dear God, make me dumb,
that I may not to Dachau come."

Dachau was a harrowing experience. It is now a very well set up museum, but much of the place is still intact and it depicts a grim picture of life for a prisoner in Nazi Germany. Many of the original cells are still intact, tiny little spaces not fit for a dog often accomodated 3 prisoners at a time.

The long walk inbetween the barracks.

Solitary cells

A sculpture next to the parade ground.

The parade ground where prisoners where barated, beaten and marched to the point of exhaustion. It was bitterly cold when we were there, which only added to the unpleasant feeling that surrounded the place. Well worth a visit, but not somewhere I'd be keen to visit again.


On a lighter topic, Hofbrauhaus is the most well known of all the beer halls in Munich. Apparently, it was Hitler's old local and witness to many of his early speeches. Even though Dave recommended some of the smaller ones for a little more authenticity, we had to go down and have a look.


Hofbrau Munchen

Steins

Loads of old Germans dressed in traditional attire. They sing and drink and dance, even the old ladies were throwing back steins.

Inside HB Haus. Apparently it grows more than 10 fold for Oktoberfest.

Dunkelradler - Dark beer and lemonade.

Traditional band doing there thing.

We ended up chatting with the fat guy behind us who ruined this photo and he offered to have us stay at his place in the Shwartzwald for as long as we wanted!!! We took his number but never called him.



The band in action.

Dinner with the captain. Ando treated us to multiple Bavarian feasts.... all of them based around the holy union of Pork, Beer and Potato.


Angie was pretty excited by the first snowfall!!

Angie made Pumpkin soup for Dave with fresh goodies from the market.



Last day before we set off driving.

Dave said they call Munich the big village, or something like that, which is exactly what it feels like. Markets, beer halls, traditional dress and music, hearty food and friendly people! Looking forward to getting back there for Oktoberfest. But next it was off into the countryside in the car!!